Renewable Energies

Renewable Energies usually refers to usable energy sources that serve as alternatives to traditional fuel sources, but without the negatively evaluated consequences of the replaced fuels. Although energy issues have a long tradition in sociology and other social sciences, it may now be high time to conceptualise these in sociological terms as the lynchpin in our understanding of the way societies are set to develop in the 21st century.

This concise book focuses on sociological attempts at better framing contemporary theories of energy transformations and provides an accessible overview of the relationships between different types of renewable energy sources and their practical usages in modern societies. A strong emphasis is placed on new forms of environmental governance and the unavoidable knowledge gaps triggered by attempts to transform contemporary energy systems to renewable ones.

Critical topics include the challenge of transitioning from centralised to decentralised system structures, integrating renewable energies into existing energy infrastructures or replacing these, developing coping strategies for unforeseen risks and conflict issues, and addressing socio-cultural reservations towards new technologies associated with renewable energies.