Description
Our dependence on fossil fuels is driving anthropogenic climate change. Solar energy is the most abundant and cleanest alternative to fossil fuels, but its practicability is influenced by a complex interplay of factors (policy, geospatial, and market) and scales (global, national, urban). This thesis provides a holistic evaluation of these factors and scales with the goal of improving our understanding of the mechanisms and challenges of transitioning to solar energy.
This analysis used geospatial, demographic, policy, legislative record, environmental, and industry data, plus a series of semi-structured, in-person interviews. Methods included geostatistical calculation, statistical linear regression and multivariate modeling, and qualitative inductive analysis. The results reveal valuable insights at each scale, but moreover a gestalt model across the factors and scales draws out a larger pattern at play of the transmutational weighting and increasing complexity of interplay as the level of analysis cascades down through the three geographic scales.
This analysis used geospatial, demographic, policy, legislative record, environmental, and industry data, plus a series of semi-structured, in-person interviews. Methods included geostatistical calculation, statistical linear regression and multivariate modeling, and qualitative inductive analysis. The results reveal valuable insights at each scale, but moreover a gestalt model across the factors and scales draws out a larger pattern at play of the transmutational weighting and increasing complexity of interplay as the level of analysis cascades down through the three geographic scales.
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Details
Title
- Policy, geospatial, and market factors in solar energy: a gestalt approach
Contributors
- Herche, Wesley (Author)
- Melnick, Rob (Thesis advisor)
- Boone, Christopher (Committee member)
- Pasqualetti, Martin J (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Date Created
The date the item was original created (prior to any relationship with the ASU Digital Repositories.)
2017
Subjects
- Sustainability
- energy
- Geography
- energy
- geospatial
- gestalt
- Market
- policy
- solar
- Solar energy policy--Economic aspects.
- Solar energy policy
- Solar energy policy--Environmental aspects.
- Solar energy policy
- Solar energy policy--Regional disparities.
- Solar energy policy
- Solar energy policy--Social aspects.
- Solar energy policy
Resource Type
Collections this item is in
Note
- thesisPartial requirement for: Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2017
- bibliographyIncludes bibliographical references (pages 106-124)
- Field of study: Sustainability
Citation and reuse
Statement of Responsibility
by Wesley Herche