Assembling solar energy, agriculture, and shorebirds: Coexisting energy landscapes with typhoons and wetlands

Abstract

Renewable energy (RE) installations are indispensable in achieving net-zero climate targets, yet the energy landscape is not solely constituted by technological artefacts. This assembling process, influenced by cultural, historical, and material conditions, is equally significant. This paper examines two empirical cases in Taiwan to illustrate the importance of local experience, sensory elements, materiality, and non-human agency in designing and siting photovoltaic installations. Drawing upon the Science and technology studies approaches of ‘co-production’ in sustainability transitions, ‘matters of concern’, and ‘ethno-epistemic assemblages’, the two case studies underline the necessity of iterative interactions between social-material concerns and RE technology designs. This paper suggests that RE technology should be considered a situated and responsive assemblage that is capable of resonating with multifaceted values. By documenting alterations in designs, material shapes, and co-created conservation plans devised in these projects, this paper provides insights for fostering a more flexible transition pathway, perceiving RE installations as fluid, adaptable assemblages that can coexist with and facilitate a more inclusive energy landscape.