TY - JOUR

T1 - Towards improved solar energy justice

T2 - Exploring the complex inequities of household adoption of photovoltaic panels

AU - Sovacool, Benjamin K.

AU - Barnacle, Max Lacey

AU - Smith, Adrian

AU - Brisbois, Marie Claire

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors

PY - 2022/5

Y1 - 2022/5

N2 - Solar energy, including household and community based solar photovoltaic panels, is the fastest growing source of low-carbon electricity worldwide, and it could become the single largest source of renewable energy by mid-century. But what negative equity and justice issues may be associated with its adoption? What risks are being accelerated as solar energy grows exponentially in its deployment? In this study, we rely on a mixed methods research design involving household solar interviews (N = 24), site visits (N = 4 solar neighbourhoods), and a literature review to investigate four types of inequities associated with household solar adoption. We utilize a novel framework looking at demographic inequities (between groups), spatial inequities (across geographic scales), interspecies inequities (between humans and non-humans), and temporal inequities (across present and future generations). This framework enables not only the identification of multiple and often interlinked inequities; it also points the way towards how to make solar energy adoption more sustainable and just, with direct implications for solar business practices (and supply chains) as well as energy and climate policy.

AB - Solar energy, including household and community based solar photovoltaic panels, is the fastest growing source of low-carbon electricity worldwide, and it could become the single largest source of renewable energy by mid-century. But what negative equity and justice issues may be associated with its adoption? What risks are being accelerated as solar energy grows exponentially in its deployment? In this study, we rely on a mixed methods research design involving household solar interviews (N = 24), site visits (N = 4 solar neighbourhoods), and a literature review to investigate four types of inequities associated with household solar adoption. We utilize a novel framework looking at demographic inequities (between groups), spatial inequities (across geographic scales), interspecies inequities (between humans and non-humans), and temporal inequities (across present and future generations). This framework enables not only the identification of multiple and often interlinked inequities; it also points the way towards how to make solar energy adoption more sustainable and just, with direct implications for solar business practices (and supply chains) as well as energy and climate policy.

KW - Energy justice

KW - Households

KW - Inequity

KW - Solar

KW - Supply-chains

KW - Sustainability transitions

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85127065973&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112868

DO - 10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112868

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85127065973

VL - 164

JO - Energy Policy

JF - Energy Policy

SN - 0301-4215

M1 - 112868

ER -