Integrating sustainable renewable energy systems into emerging construction projects in Ghana: Towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient future

Climate change mitigation increasingly hinges on decarbonising the built environment, yet renewable energy integration in building construction remains underexplored in many emerging economies in Africa, including Ghana. This study examined the enhanced deployment of renewable energy sources (RES) in real estate projects as a contribution to climate change mitigation using the IDT approach. Using quantitative design methodologies, data was collected from 400 professionals working in the real estate industry, receiving a response rate of 94 %. Descriptive statistics, relative Importance Index (RII) and Multiple Linear Regression analysis were the tools deployed in the analysis. The results of the multiple regression analysis show that the most statistically significant determinants for the deployment of RES in developing projects are efficiency in solar energy technologies (β = 0.471, p = 0.000) and smart energy management systems (β = 0.247, p = 0.000). Additionally, the major factors triggering the adoption include reduction of long-term operational costs (mean = 4.65), reduction of carbon emissions (mean = 4.59), and improvement of energy independence (mean = 4.54). On the other hand, the main barrier for integration is the inefficient governmental support and lack of RES equipment in Ghana and high initial investments. Framed through the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, adoption is still concentrated among early adopters and innovators; the early and late majority have not yet been brought along, largely because the institutional signals (policy certainty, financial incentives, technical capacity and codified standards) that typically accelerate that movement are still underdeveloped locally. The study recommends that government and industry stakeholders prioritise binding regulatory support, targeted financial incentives, and solar-led implementation strategies, sequenced ahead of demonstration and certification efforts, to move renewable energy adoption from isolated examples toward standard construction practice.