Abstract
Agrivoltaic systems are a strategic and innovative approach to combine solar photovoltaic (PV)-based renewable energy generation with agricultural production. Recognizing the fundamental importance of farmer adoption in the successful diffusion of the agrivoltaic innovation, this study investigates agriculture sector experts’ perceptions on the opportunities and barriers to dual land-use systems. Using in-depth, semistructured interviews, this study conducts a first study to identify challenges to farmer adoption of agrivoltaics and address them by responding to societal concerns. Results indicate that participants see potential benefits for themselves in combined solar and agriculture technology. The identified barriers to adoption of agrivoltaics, however, include: (i) desired certainty of long-term land productivity, (ii) market potential, (iii) just compensation and (iv) a need for predesigned system flexibility to accommodate different scales, types of operations, and changing farming practices. The identified concerns in this study can be used to refine the technology to increase adoption among farmers and to translate the potential of agrivoltaics to address the competition for land between solar PV and agriculture into changes in solar siting, farming practice, and land-use decision-making.
Highlights
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Carbon and Other Biogeochemical Cycles report [1] reveals the predominant sources of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are the use of fossil fuels as sources of energy and land use changes, agriculture
These findings may be used to translate the potential of agrivoltaics to address the competition for land between solar PV and agriculture into changes in solar siting, farming practice and land-use decision-making
Recognizing the fundamental importance of farmer adoption in the successful diffusion of agrivoltaics, this study investigates agriculture sector experts’ perceptions on the opportunities and barriers to dual land-use systems
Summary
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Carbon and Other Biogeochemical Cycles report [1] reveals the predominant sources of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are the use of fossil fuels as sources of energy and land use changes, agriculture. Agrivoltaics, the strategic codevelopment of land for both solar photovoltaic (PV) energy production and agriculture, can meet growing demands for energy and food simultaneously while reducing fossil fuel consumption [2,3,4]. Integrated energy and food systems have the potential to increase global land productivity by 35–73% [2]. Agrivoltaic systems are a strategic and innovative approach to combine renewable energy with agricultural production, effectively addressing the predominant sources of anthropogenic GHG emissions as identified by the IPCC. In conjunction with solar PV, there are emu farms in Australia [8] as well as sheep grazing [6,9,10]
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