Loading...
Publication
Solar energy, innovation and community resilience: the case of Amareleja (Portugal). Rural Resilience and Vulnerability: The rural as locus of solidarity and conflict in times of crisis
| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 273.27 KB | Adobe PDF |
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The solar photovoltaic power plant of Amareleja
in southern Portugal was built in 2008. At the
time it was the largest in Europe. This large-scale
technological infrastructure triggered an unusual buzz
on an otherwise quiet rural municipality of Moura. It
inspired triumphant political speeches, national and
international news coverage, and many visits by foreign
dignitaries. And yet, it was the target of some
criticism regarding its costs and the limited impact on
the local economy and on jobs creation. Moreover,
apart from a dramatic transformation of the rural
landscape, this solar power plant also brought multiple
scientific and technological innovations (supported
by a social fund). This paper offers a preliminary
analysis of the public acceptability of this form of
energy production and discusses the extent to which
these scientific and technological innovations have
impacted on the local identity, development and
community resilience in times of crisis. The empirical
material draws on a combination of methods: documentary
analysis, quantitative analysis of secondary
databases, interviews with local stakeholders and
ethnographic observation.
Description
Keywords
Energia solar Solar energy Amareleja (Portugal)
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Truninger, M.; Delicado, A.; Junqueira, L.; Figueiredo, E.; Horta, A.; Silva, L. (2013). Solar energy, innovation and community resilience: the case of Amareleja (Portugal). Rural Resilience and Vulnerability: The rural as locus of solidarity and conflict in times of crisis. eProceedings of the XXVth Congress of the European Society for Rural Sociology. Pisa: Laboratorio di Studi Rurali SISMONDI, pp. 261-262