The sunrise in Iran. Towards an inclusive energy transition: unveiling the societal perspectives on energy transition policies

The transition to renewable energy is a global imperative, driven by international climate agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, and the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as emphasised in IPCC reports. While many countries are accelerating their shift toward sustainable energy systems, fossil fuel-rich developing countries face unique challenges in balancing economic stability, energy security, and decarbonisation. Iran, as one of the world’s top GHG emitters, has set policies aimed at RE expansion, yet despite these policies, its energy transition has stagnated. This dissertation investigates why Iran has failed to transition from a fossil fuel-based system to renewable energy sources and explores how stakeholder interactions, institutional barriers, and social acceptance dynamics shape this failure. Adopting a socio-technical perspective, this research examines the interplay between diverse stakeholder groups and RE institutions, considering macro-level policies, meso-level organisational structures, and micro-level individual actors. Three key aspects are explored: institutional and governance barriers, the role of solar PV businesses as niche actors, and the social acceptance of RE technologies. The study employs a qualitative research approach, drawing on semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders across different regions in Iran. By employing a Grounded Theory approach, this dissertation develops an empirically driven understanding of the institutional, political, and social barriers shaping Iran’s energy transition. Through an inductive, data-driven approach, this research provides a context-specific understanding of energy transition challenges, offering insights that extend beyond traditional policy and economic explanations. The findings reveal that institutional distrust, policy instability, and fragmented governance structures are central obstacles to RE development in Iran. While sustainability is recognised as a societal value, it remains largely absent in governance priorities, creating a fundamental disconnect between public awareness and institutional action. Additionally, existing business models fail to align with societal expectations, as they implicitly require public actors to contribute to electricity provision—traditionally seen as the regime’s responsibility. Solar PV businesses, identified as the most innovative stakeholder group, operate in an uncertain environment, lacking financial incentives, regulatory stability, and public trust. Although fossil fuel subsidies are a major structural issue in Iran’s energy policy, they do not directly explain low social acceptance of solar PV adoption, since the current business model does not create a direct cost comparison between solar-generated and fossil-based electricity. Finally, while energy security concerns have increased interest in solar PV (as the most feasible RE type), they risk leading to unsustainable RE expansion unless accompanied by energy efficiency measures. The research also provides practical policy recommendations, including the need for governance reforms, pricing and subsidy restructuring, and stakeholder-inclusive policy design. It concludes that Iran’s energy transition is not merely a technical or economic challenge but a deeply political and institutional issue. Overcoming these barriers requires not just policy adjustments, but a fundamental shift in governance structures, trust-building measures, and societal engagement in the transition process.

Author dc:creator

• Aghlimoghadam, Leila

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Dienel, Hans-Liudger

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Identifier URI

https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-24448

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:depositonce.tu-berlin.de:11303/25624