Investigating the Determinants of Renewable Energy Adoption: A Survey of Consumers’ Intention in Saudi Arabia

The accelerating global transition toward sustainable energy necessitates a more profound comprehension of the behavioral and contextual determinants influencing household adoption intentions, particularly in policy-driven economies. This research analyses household renewable energy adoption in Saudi Arabia employing a Theory of Planned Behavior-informed, attitude-centric framework. Awareness, environmental concern, and perceptions of governmental policy are evaluated as contextual precursors of attitude, while perceived financial cost is conceptualized as a moderating constraint on the attitude–intention nexus. Data were amassed through a cross-sectional survey of 300 household decision-makers in Saudi Arabia and analyzed utilizing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The outcomes reveal that perceptions of governmental policy, environmental concern, and awareness are positively correlated with attitudes toward renewable energy, with policy perception demonstrating the most robust relationship. Attitude, in turn, is strongly correlated with adoption intention. Furthermore, perceived financial cost negatively moderates the attitude–intention relationship, indicating that financial apprehensions diminish the transference of favorable evaluations into adoption intentions. By situating the Theory of Planned Behavior within a policy-oriented energy framework, this study underscores the pivotal roles of institutional perception and affordability in shaping household renewable energy intentions through attitudinal mechanisms. The findings furnish practical insights for policymakers by accentuating the significance of policy credibility, financial accessibility, and targeted communication strategies aligned with Saudi Vision 2030’s sustainability objectives.