TY - JOUR
T1 - Do solar energy systems have a mid-life crisis?
T2 - Valorising renewables and ignoring waste in in regional towns in Australia’s Northern Territory
AU - Mathur, Deepika
AU - Gregory, Robin
AU - Hogan, Eleanor
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by Regional Development Australia NT and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Northern Territory Government (Grant reference:1275215). The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments. In addition we thank Helen Verran for her guidance while responding to reviewer’s comments.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s)
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - As the use of solar systems as an alternate source of energy increases, so too does the volume of waste from decommissioned systems. While several options have been suggested as solutions for the end of life of solar systems in terms of their component elements in urban regions, there is little discussion of managing waste arising in regional areas where volumes are often below necessary thresholds. This paper discusses why solar energy systems in Australia’s Northern Territory are being removed and how they are disposed of. Results suggest that there are several social and economic reasons for their removal, as it is not just a matter of failure to generate electric power. Since solar energy generation waste is a new problem, there are few or no social mechanisms in place to manage this waste. The results of this study highlight the need for addressing this gap. This paper inquires into, and attempts to formulate an early definition of this newly emergent social problem, conceptualising it as a sociomaterial issue.
AB - As the use of solar systems as an alternate source of energy increases, so too does the volume of waste from decommissioned systems. While several options have been suggested as solutions for the end of life of solar systems in terms of their component elements in urban regions, there is little discussion of managing waste arising in regional areas where volumes are often below necessary thresholds. This paper discusses why solar energy systems in Australia’s Northern Territory are being removed and how they are disposed of. Results suggest that there are several social and economic reasons for their removal, as it is not just a matter of failure to generate electric power. Since solar energy generation waste is a new problem, there are few or no social mechanisms in place to manage this waste. The results of this study highlight the need for addressing this gap. This paper inquires into, and attempts to formulate an early definition of this newly emergent social problem, conceptualising it as a sociomaterial issue.
KW - solar energy systems
KW - mid-life crisis
KW - socio-material
KW - solar panel waste
KW - recycling solar panels
KW - regional towns
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103726388&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.erss.2021.101934
DO - 10.1016/j.erss.2021.101934
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85103726388
SN - 2214-6296
VL - 76
JO - Energy research and social science
JF - Energy research and social science
M1 - 101934
ER -