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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Review article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Review article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Techno–ecological synergies of solar energy for global sustainability
AU - Hernandez, Rebecca R.
AU - Armstrong, Alona
AU - Burney, Jennifer
AU - Ryan, Greer
AU - Moore-O’Leary, Kara
AU - Diédhiou, Ibrahima
AU - Grodsky, Steven M.
AU - Saul-Gershenz, Leslie
AU - Davis, Rob
AU - Macknick, Jordan
AU - Mulvaney, Dustin
AU - Heath, Garvin A.
AU - Easter, Shane B.
AU - Hoffacker, Madison K.
AU - Allen, Michael F.
AU - Kammen, Daniel M.
PY - 2019/7/1
Y1 - 2019/7/1
N2 - The strategic engineering of solar energy technologies—from individual rooftop modules to large solar energy power plants—can confer significant synergistic outcomes across industrial and ecological boundaries. Here, we propose techno–ecological synergy (TES), a framework for engineering mutually beneficial relationships between technological and ecological systems, as an approach to augment the sustainability of solar energy across a diverse suite of recipient environments, including land, food, water, and built-up systems. We provide a conceptual model and framework to describe 16 TESs of solar energy and characterize 20 potential techno–ecological synergistic outcomes of their use. For each solar energy TES, we also introduce metrics and illustrative assessments to demonstrate techno–ecological potential across multiple dimensions. The numerous applications of TES to solar energy technologies are unique among energy systems and represent a powerful frontier in sustainable engineering to minimize unintended consequences on nature associated with a rapid energy transition.
AB - The strategic engineering of solar energy technologies—from individual rooftop modules to large solar energy power plants—can confer significant synergistic outcomes across industrial and ecological boundaries. Here, we propose techno–ecological synergy (TES), a framework for engineering mutually beneficial relationships between technological and ecological systems, as an approach to augment the sustainability of solar energy across a diverse suite of recipient environments, including land, food, water, and built-up systems. We provide a conceptual model and framework to describe 16 TESs of solar energy and characterize 20 potential techno–ecological synergistic outcomes of their use. For each solar energy TES, we also introduce metrics and illustrative assessments to demonstrate techno–ecological potential across multiple dimensions. The numerous applications of TES to solar energy technologies are unique among energy systems and represent a powerful frontier in sustainable engineering to minimize unintended consequences on nature associated with a rapid energy transition.
U2 - 10.1038/s41893-019-0309-z
DO - 10.1038/s41893-019-0309-z
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85067510027
VL - 2
SP - 560
EP - 568
JO - Nature Sustainability
JF - Nature Sustainability
SN - 2398-9629
IS - 7
ER -