Not only are the forms of hardware within the
enewable energy category diverse and heteroge-
eous, but they can be implemented at markedly
ifferent material sizes
1
– in terms of both physical
rm and energy generating capacity. This is illustrated
n Table 1, which, for five forms of renewable
nergy, distinguishes between macro, meso, micro
nd pico sizes of implementation. This ‘hyper-
zeability’ is a distinctive characteristic of renewable
nergy hardwares not as readily realised by other
nergy technologies; commonplace nuclear reactors
emain a fantasy of the 1950s. Each of these hard-
ares, when implemented at different sizes, has
ifferent relational qualities of physical presence,
onnection to other physical infrastructure (buildings
n particular), degrees of mobility and potential
or environmental impact and disturbance. These
ualities, as we shall discuss later, are also implicated
n various ways in the forms of social relation
etween technology and publics.