From Wasted Land to Megawatts: How to Convert Brownfields Into Solar Power Plants (the Case of the Czech Republic)

Abstract

This article deals with the issue of brownfield redevelopment for the needs of solar energy projects from different perspectives. Attention is first paid to a brief characterisation of the data and information available both for brownfields and for solar energy projects in the Czech Republic. Then there is description from the most important results of GIS analysis, which (based on a comparison of aerial images from different years) identified the previous uses at the 127 solar power plants with an output of over 1 MWp in the South Moravian Region. The results of the quantitative analyses are accompanied by knowledge from a qualitative survey conducted on selected actors participating in this kind of brownfield regeneration for solar energy development. The conclusion contains proposals which could contribute to the more intensive future use of brownfields for the needs of solar energy in the Czech Republic (a similar process to what has already successfully been realised in Germany). The research results can be inspiring not only for the Czech Republic but also for other EU-member counrties where brownfields have not been re-used for the needs of solar energy projects or where brownfields have been used in this way only marginally.