Student: Sara Goldstein
Graduation date: May 2017
Capstone type: Thesis
Capstone project:
Energy & Equity: Solar Energy Technology and Social Vulnerability in Portland, Oregon
Capstone file(s): Show file | Show file
Renewable energy development theoretically aims to address social vulnerability in attempts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The nature of resilient development, however, often ignores issues of social vulnerability and equity. Vulnerable populations are characterized by socio-economic positions that increase their risks to change. These populations possess less resilience against risks of hydrocarbon combustion-induced climate change, increase market price of energy, and displacement due to RE development caused displacement. In a three part, multi-method, critical analysis, I root global issues of energy and resilience in the locale of global city, Portland Oregon. Depicting the ways in which RE development in local economies can empower vulnerable residents, I explore I look at issues of equity and decision-making agency implicit in the policies that guide residential photovoltaic development. Understanding Portland as a ‘global city’ allows interesting connections to be made between local inequities and the globalization of; energy infrastructure, political economy, and vertically distributed modes of production. Using a three-part methodology, the first part uses ArcGIS for spatial analysis to reveal the distribution of Portland's residential PV installations compared to; data on vulnerability and use of solar incentives. The second part performs a policy and incentive analysis using the incentives themselves to reveal notions of access and decision-making, the incorporation of technical and zoning barriers is brought by an interview with SolarCity field energy consultant. I use this interview in part three as well, and this section primarily is a case study of the solar installation on a multi-family affordable housing building in Downtown Portland.