The solar good: Energy ethics in poor markets

Jamie Cross

doi:10.1111/1467-9655.13014

The solar good: Energy ethics in poor markets

Jamie Cross^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Social and Political Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

What are the ethical commitments of people who design, build, and sell solar photovoltaic technologies to those living in energy poverty across sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia? Over the past decade, dramatic falls in the cost of solar photovoltaics have seen our increased capacity to convert sunlight into electricity married to projects of governance, social or moral reform, and expressions of care for distant others. Tracing these projects across the floor of an international trade fair in Dubai and a social enterprise in India, this essay shows that the pursuit of the solar good hinges on the knowable ground that is capitalism today.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	47-66
Number of pages	20
Journal	Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute
Volume	25
Issue number	S1
Early online date	12 Mar 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9655.13014
Publication status	Published - 30 Apr 2019

Access to Document

10.1111/1467-9655.13014

CrossJJRAI2019TheSolarGood
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Cross, J. (2019), The solar good: energy ethics in poor markets. J R Anthropol Inst, 25: 47-66, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9655.13014. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.
Accepted author manuscript, 272 KB

Energy and Forced Displacement: A Qualitative Approach to Light, Heat and Power in Refugee Camps
Cross, J. (Principal Investigator)
ESRC
1/11/16 → 30/04/18
Project: Research
Off the Grid: Relational Infrastructures for Fragile Futures
Cross, J. (Principal Investigator), Speed, C. (Co-investigator) & Street, A. (Co-investigator)
ESRC
1/09/13 → 28/02/15
Project: Research

Cite this

@article{e82ee9bca97546e5a255dc77db7a8617,

title = "The solar good: Energy ethics in poor markets",

abstract = "What are the ethical commitments of people who design, build, and sell solar photovoltaic technologies to those living in energy poverty across sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia? Over the past decade, dramatic falls in the cost of solar photovoltaics have seen our increased capacity to convert sunlight into electricity married to projects of governance, social or moral reform, and expressions of care for distant others. Tracing these projects across the floor of an international trade fair in Dubai and a social enterprise in India, this essay shows that the pursuit of the solar good hinges on the knowable ground that is capitalism today.",

author = "Jamie Cross",

year = "2019",

month = apr,

day = "30",

doi = "10.1111/1467-9655.13014",

language = "English",

volume = "25",

pages = "47--66",

journal = "Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute ",

issn = "1359-0987",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "S1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The solar good

T2 - Energy ethics in poor markets

AU - Cross, Jamie

PY - 2019/4/30

Y1 - 2019/4/30

N2 - What are the ethical commitments of people who design, build, and sell solar photovoltaic technologies to those living in energy poverty across sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia? Over the past decade, dramatic falls in the cost of solar photovoltaics have seen our increased capacity to convert sunlight into electricity married to projects of governance, social or moral reform, and expressions of care for distant others. Tracing these projects across the floor of an international trade fair in Dubai and a social enterprise in India, this essay shows that the pursuit of the solar good hinges on the knowable ground that is capitalism today.

AB - What are the ethical commitments of people who design, build, and sell solar photovoltaic technologies to those living in energy poverty across sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia? Over the past decade, dramatic falls in the cost of solar photovoltaics have seen our increased capacity to convert sunlight into electricity married to projects of governance, social or moral reform, and expressions of care for distant others. Tracing these projects across the floor of an international trade fair in Dubai and a social enterprise in India, this essay shows that the pursuit of the solar good hinges on the knowable ground that is capitalism today.

U2 - 10.1111/1467-9655.13014

DO - 10.1111/1467-9655.13014

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85063006806

SN - 1359-0987

VL - 25

SP - 47

EP - 66

JO - Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute

JF - Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute

IS - S1

ER -

The solar good: Energy ethics in poor markets

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

Energy and Forced Displacement: A Qualitative Approach to Light, Heat and Power in Refugee Camps

Off the Grid: Relational Infrastructures for Fragile Futures

Cite this