Solar Landscapes: A Methodology for the Adaptive Integration of Renewable Energy Production into Cultural Landscapes

Abstract

The increasing use of solar energy is an integral step toward carbon neutrality. At the same time, outdoor solar farms are significantly altering existing cultural landscapes. This work examines the possibilities of integrating the use of solar energy into these landscapes in such a way that the unique, regional character of places is preserved and enhanced. The research project that was carried out developed a conceptual design approach that takes as its starting point landscape architectural and aesthetic analyses of existing sites in Styria, Austria, the spatial characteristics of the cultural landscapes in which they are embedded, and their suitability for generating solar energy. The comparison of a site’s characteristics with the technical possibilities evaluated from a literature review enables a responsive design practice using solar modules. The result is a method of landscape architectural design that integrates solar energy on the basis of an adaptive site-specific approach as well as a catalogue of sample cases that illustrate how designing with solar modules can honor and add value to existing places while enhancing their ecological, economic, and social functions.