Just Solar Energy

This interdisciplinary research project takes as its starting point the rapidly growing investment in solar panel installations in Sweden and an increased need to understand how such an investment can be made in a socially sustainable and just way.

When it comes to solar panel installations, there are many situations where goal conflicts of various kinds can arise that can be resolved in a more, or less, socially just way. Examples of justice dimensions are what we should use land for, for example food or energy, how we distribute and expand capacity fairly within an electricity grid, how physical planning and location of installations should promote a fair distribution of solar power production, how we understand who directly benefits from an installation and how we should think about the needs and conditions of today's and future generations.

The technical knowledge and expertise around solar energy already exists to a large extent, but for a sustainable societal development we also need to understand the social aspects of solar energy growth. Researchers exploring energy issues from a social science and humanities perspective argue that many central issues in the energy field, such as distribution of resources, are philosophical and ethical rather than technical.

In this project, we combine expertise in practical philosophy, solar energy, and social science to study mainly two tracks in solar energy: solar installations in urban environments and large-scale solar energy in the form of rural solar parks. We use practical philosophy as a "lens" to understand justice aspects of the deployment of solar installations, as well as participatory methods to support a dialogue between actors. The strength of a practical philosophical approach is that we are not limited to observing what is happening, but we can also participate and work proactively to support the development with the help of deeper insights, knowledge, reasoning, and awareness.

We will conduct interviews and workshops with various actors who are, or have been, involved in various roles in selected cases that exemplify solar deployment in urban and rural areas. One of the goals of the project's planned workshops is to, together with participants and project partners, develop a practical decision-making tool that can be used to support creating socially sustainable and just processes and outcomes in solar deployment in Sweden.

The result from the project will hopefully support future decision making on the development of the energy system. It can also contribute with new knowledge and perspective which, for example, can form the basis of improved permit and planning processes.

Project partners: The project is carried out in collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology, Svenska Kyrkan, and EnergiEngagemang Sverige AB.

Karl de Fine Licht is associate professor in ethics and technology at Chalmers, and participates in the project with expertise in practical philosophy and justice issues.

Svenska Kyrkan and EnergiEngagemang Sverige AB contribute with relevant questions, experiences, perspectives and practical cases that will form the basis of the project's work around just solar energy. Svenska Kyrkan owns and manages both buildings and land (including agricultural land) throughout Sweden and works actively with both energy efficiency measures and investments in renewable energy production. EnergiEngagemang Sverige AB is a solar energy company that designs, installs, and operates solar installations both on buildings and on land and has extensive experience in permit processes and practical route selection. They have installed a large number of installations, including for Svenska Kyrkan.