Abstract
The growing energy needs of agriculture, the need to reduce the burning of fossil fuels, and, on the other hand, the increasing technical efficiency are contributing to the wider use of solar energy technology in agriculture. The aim of the article is to identify factors determining farmers’ investments in solar photovoltaic and solar thermal installations for electricity and heat production, to establish the proportion between the consumption of such energy for the needs of the farmer’s family and for the needs of the farm, and to identify the drivers of solar energy use in agricultural production. Empirical materials were collected through surveys of farmers conducted at the end of 2020 in south-eastern Poland, in the Podkarpackie region. It is a region characterized by significant land fragmentation. Producing energy from renewable sources can be an opportunity for farmers not only to reduce household expenses, but also to increase agricultural income. As a result, it can be a driver of sustainable agricultural development in the region. The article presents the most important economic and social determinants that stimulate the adoption of solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies by farmers for the needs of their households as well as for agricultural production.
Highlights
IntroductionInvestments in renewable energy sources (RESs) can be of great economic, social, and environmental importance (reduction in low-stack gas and dust emissions, reduction in CO2 emissions) [1]
In rural areas, investments in renewable energy sources (RESs) can be of great economic, social, and environmental importance [1]
As the criterion for the inclusion of households in the sample was the ownership of a solar PV/solar thermal installation or the intention to implement such an installation within the following year, these results may not come as a surprise
Summary
Investments in renewable energy sources (RESs) can be of great economic, social, and environmental importance (reduction in low-stack gas and dust emissions, reduction in CO2 emissions) [1]. This depends mainly on the scale of such investments. Agriculture is one of the sectors that can and should make intensive use of RESs [3,4,5,6]. From the perspective of the sector, this necessity results from the need to reduce the dependence of agriculture on fossil fuels and to achieve specific objectives related to the reduction in CO2 emissions and the so-called low-stack emissions. It is an opportunity to improve the multifunctionality of agriculture and to use biomass from agricultural production, waste, or roof surfaces
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