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Towards improved solar energy justice: Exploring the complex inequities of household adoption of photovoltaic panels

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  • Sovacool, Benjamin K.
  • Barnacle, Max Lacey
  • Smith, Adrian
  • Brisbois, Marie Claire

Abstract

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.

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  • Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Barnacle, Max Lacey & Smith, Adrian & Brisbois, Marie Claire, 2022. "Towards improved solar energy justice: Exploring the complex inequities of household adoption of photovoltaic panels," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:164:y:2022:i:c:s0301421522000933
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112868
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    2. Best, Rohan & Chareunsy, Andrea & Taylor, Madeline, 2023. "Changes in inequality for solar panel uptake by Australian homeowners," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    3. Lyu, Yuan & He, Yongxiu & Li, Shanzi & Zhou, Jinghan & Li, Bo, 2024. "Impact of grid connection cost channeling mechanisms on the development of distributed photovoltaic: The case of China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    4. Lyu, Yuan & He, Yongxiu & Zhou, Jinghan & Xie, Yuxin, 2023. "Prosumer standby fee design: Solving the inequity problem of China's county-wide photovoltaic project promotion," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 309-320.
    5. Van Opstal, Wim & Smeets, Anse, 2023. "When do circular business models resolve barriers to residential solar PV adoption? Evidence from survey data in flanders," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    6. Shandelle Steadman & Anna Rita Bennato & Monica Giulietti, 2023. "From energy consumers to prosumers: the role of peer effects in the diffusion of residential microgeneration technology," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 50(2), pages 321-346, June.
    7. Wim Van Opstal & Anse Smeets, 2022. "Market-Specific Barriers and Enablers for Organizational Investments in Solar PV—Lessons from Flanders," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-26, October.
    8. Kyere, Francis & Dongying, Sun & Bampoe, Gertrude Dotse & Kumah, Naana Yaa Gyamea & Asante, Dennis, 2024. "Decoding the shift: Assessing household energy transition and unravelling the reasons for resistance or adoption of solar photovoltaic," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    9. Taylor, M. & Pettit, J. & Sekiyama, T. & Sokołowski, M.M., 2023. "Justice-driven agrivoltaics: Facilitating agrivoltaics embedded in energy justice," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    10. Harrington, Elise, 2024. "Filling gaps in local knowledge and technology assurance: Informal intermediation in the diffusion of off-grid solar technologies in rural Kenya," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(8).
    11. Abbas, Shahbaz & Techato, Kuaanan & Chiang Hsieh, Lin-Han & Sadeq, Abdellatif M., 2024. "Integrating relational values in social acceptance of photovoltaic energy storage systems: A consumers' perspective assessment using structural equation modeling," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    12. Lyu, Yuan & He, Yongxiu & Li, Shanzi & Zhou, Jinghan & Tian, BingYing, 2024. "Channeling approach of prosumer connection costs considering regional differences in China — Evolutionary game among distributed photovoltaic entities," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).

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