Solar Power

"Drawing on case studies and information collected over the past decade, Solar Power tells a story about the social and environmental considerations for scaling solar power. The book articulates a vision for a more sustainable and just solar industry. While decarbonizing electricity systems with clean, solar power will have tremendous social and environmental benefits, scaling solar industries for electricity will have impacts from global supply chains to land use, through end-of-life that need attention to avoid environmental justice, land use, and waste impacts associated with manufacturing, deployment, and disposal of these clean technologies"--Provided by publisher. "In this important new primer, Dustin Mulvaney makes a passionate case for the significance of solar power energy and offers a vision for a more sustainable and just solar industry for the future. The solar energy industry has grown immensely over the past several years and now provides up to a fifth of California’s power. But despite its deservedly green reputation, solar development and deployment may have social and environmental consequences, from poor factory labor standards to landscape impacts on wildlife. Using a wide variety of case studies and examples that trace the life cycle of photovoltaics, Mulvaney expertly outlines the state of the solar industry, exploring the ongoing conflicts between ecological concerns and climate mitigation strategies, current trade disputes, and the fate of toxics in solar waste products. This exceptional overview will outline the industry’s current challenges and possible futures for students in environmental studies, energy policy, environmental sociology, and other aligned fields." -- Publisher's description