Political, economic, and social factors that impede the diffusion of residential solar photovoltaics (RSPV) are at the frontline of academic research in renewable energy development because solar PV has rapidly become cost-benefit effective relative to traditional energy. Using Shanghai for our investigation, this study employed a systematic and stakeholder engagement framework to analyze the political, economic, and social actors and th. Political, economic, and social factors that impede the diffusion of residential solar photovoltaics (RSPV) are at the frontline of academic research in renewable energy development because solar PV has rapidly become cost-benefit effective relative to traditional energy. Using Shanghai for our investigation, this study employed a systematic and stakeholder engagement framework to analyze the political, economic, and social actors and their relationships with the residents' acceptance of solar PV. Our results were based on 20 in-depth interviews and rich secondary qualitative research data. We found that several factors that jointly contributed to poor collaboration among actors for upscaling of RSPV development in Shanghai. These included the poor implementation of RSPV policies from political actors, residents' distrust of the market players, uncertainties and risks faced by small and medium solar companies, and an individualism-collective dilemma and poor community engagement due to rapid social atomization. The development of RSPV is a systematic project that requires joint efforts and collaborative mechanisms among political, market, and community actors. Community engagement is an indispensable measure to promote collaboration among these key stakeholders for the success of RSPV development.••••Factors driving residential solar PV (RSPV) rejection in Shanghai are identified.••Residents have weak bargaining power for implementing RSPV.••Community engagement is indispensable for the success of RSPV.••RSPV development needs cooperation among political, market, and community actors.Residential solar PVStakeholder interactionCommunityChinaThe growing climate crisis necessitates rapid and deep decarbonization. This calls for upscaling through the wide deployment of decentralized energy facilities to supplant fossil fuels, spurred on by public participation, particularly of residents as the owners and users of renewable energy facilities [,,,,, ]. In recent years, the cost of solar photovoltaics (PV) has declined sharply; however, residential solar PV (RSVP) continues to have many barriers preventing its global upscaling, except in some pioneering developed countries such as Germany and Sweden [6,7]. This study investigates this situation in China, as the solar energy pioneer to identify the barriers toward upscaling RSPV.China is a top installer of solar PV; For example, its solar energy installation increased from 19.42 GW (GW) in 2014 to 305 GW in 2021 [8,9]. It has been forecast that solar PV will contribute to as much as 64.67% of China's emission reduction by 2050. Economics and technology scholars are optimistic about the era of subsidy-free or grid parity of RSPV electricity in China, as massive production leads to low solar costs [11,12]. However, the RSPV market penetrate rate was only about 6% in China by 2022, and the majority of RSPV's development is contributed by rural areas. Additionally, RSPV is developing slowly in urban China (Interview 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11). The most decarbonizati. Regarding the low diffusion of RSPV, there are three categories of barriers: economic barriers (where the costs outweigh the benefits of RSPV for individuals as consumers); individuals' psychological barriers; and social-political, community, and market interactions relating to RSPV adoption or rejection.