Justice in Solar Energy Development

Titelangaben

Heffron, Raphael J. ; Halbrügge, Stephanie ; Körner, Marc-Fabian ; Obeng-Darko, Nana A. ; Sumarno, Theresia ; Wagner, Jonathan ; Weibelzahl, Martin:
Justice in Solar Energy Development.
In: Solar Energy. Bd. 218 (2021) . - S. 68-75.
ISSN 0038-092X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2021.01.072

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Abstract

To achieve national energy and climate targets across the world, a key focus is on solar energy development. It is clear from the literature that many countries have enormous, under-utilised potentials for solar energy, which can significantly change their energy mix and contribute to their low-carbon ambitions signed up to under the 2015 Paris Agreement. Our research highlights that there are benefits to solar energy development from a law and economic perspective that are still underexplored. These benefits center on justice and on how solar energy increases justice within the energy system. From a legal perspective, we review 72 countries introducing energy law to incentivize solar energy development. Our analysis illustrates that it is mainly the developing countries where legislation has not yet led to an increase in the share of solar energy in the energy mix. We then highlight how to achieve solar energy development through adequate law, stressing the importance of flexibility that allows the harvest of the full potential of solar energy within the energy system. The corresponding form of flexibility justice, combining law and economics, can contribute to increased economic welfare based on market reforms that centre on new market structure, market design, and market access while ensuring that it keeps pace with developments in technology and ownership.