Eventualities utilized in experiment with edited photographs and data offered. Credit score: Land Use Coverage (2025). Doi: 10.1016/J.Landusepol.2025.107604.
Photovoltaic techniques are more and more being put in not solely on roofs but additionally on open land. This doesn’t all the time meet with residents’ approval. What is called agrivoltaics (Agri-PV), nevertheless, is considered extra favorably, as researchers on the College of Bonn have now been capable of present.
On this case, the solar cells are put in in areas used for agriculture—similar to on pastures or as a cover over grapevines. In line with a survey of virtually 2,000 individuals, this type enjoys a lot larger acceptance than regular photo voltaic parks. The examine has been published within the journal Land Use Coverage.
Photo voltaic electrical energy is a crucial environmentally pleasant vitality supply. Nonetheless, the light-sensitive panels swallow up an excessive amount of area. Many voters additionally take into account the techniques to be unattractive and annoying—particularly if arable land and grassland have been sacrificed for them.
One various is what is called agrivoltaics. This includes putting in the panels on land that continues for use for agriculture—grain fields, pastures, apple orchards, or vineyards.
“They usually reduce the yield,” explains Hendrik Zeddies from the Heart for Growth Analysis (ZEF) on the College of Bonn.
“However, they sometimes also create synergies. For example, the solar cells can be used as a transparent canopy to protect fruit trees or grapevines from hailstones or harsh sunlight. On wheat fields, they often serve as wind protection—similar to a wall or a hedge.”
Cows graze between photo voltaic panels
The examine additionally reveals that agrivoltaics presents an additional benefit that shouldn’t be underestimated: It clearly enjoys a lot better acceptance among the many public than typical photo voltaic parks. That is at the least what the outcomes of a web based survey involving virtually 2,000 individuals in Germany point out. Zeddies is one among its initiators, alongside his colleagues Dr. Martin Parlasca and Prof. Dr. Matin Qaim, Director of the ZEF.
The respondents had been chosen in such a manner that their composition with regard to age, intercourse, schooling, revenue, and state of residency mirrored the German inhabitants. They had been initially given data on the benefits and downsides of agrivoltaics and traditional photo voltaic parks on open land.
They had been then assigned at random to one among three teams. The primary noticed photographs of a pasture, and as a comparability, a meadow wherein lengthy rows of solar panels stood between the grazing cows. Equally, the second group checked out pairs of photographs of a wheat area with and with out photo voltaic panels, the third of a winery. These photographs had been every in contrast with pure photo voltaic parks in the identical panorama scene.
“We asked the participants how they assessed the intervention in the respective landscape,” explains Zeddies. “For instance, how attractive or unattractive they found the areas shown or how they assessed their recreational value.” As well as, they had been requested to state whether or not they could be keen to simply accept a value premium for the electrical energy produced within the respective areas—or the reverse: whether or not they would pay cash to stop the photo voltaic park.
Nearly 44% would pay extra for agrivoltaic electrical energy
The outcomes present that agrivoltaics met with a lot larger acceptance—whatever the state of affairs proven: Nearly 44% would pay extra for electrical energy from these areas; nevertheless, solely 29% could be keen to take action for regular photo voltaic parks on open land. Simply 2.9% would additionally finance measures to stop agrivoltaics from their very own pockets. The determine was 4.8% for typical parks.
Though the respondents had been typically of the opinion that photovoltaics impair the view of the panorama, these unfavorable impacts had been decrease of their eyes when it got here to agrivoltaics—presumably as a result of it makes a distinction whether or not photo voltaic vitality manufacturing is pushing agriculture apart or whether or not vitality and meals manufacturing are mixed.
“Our survey is hypothetical—the participants do not really have to spend any money,” stresses Prof. Dr. Matin Qaim, who can be a member of the Transdisciplinary Analysis Space (TRA) Sustainable Futures and the Cluster of Excellence PhenoRob. “Nevertheless, the results allow us to conclude that agrivoltaics meets with greater acceptance among the public than normal open-space solar systems.”
Agrivoltaics might due to this fact be a approach to speed up the event of environmentally pleasant vitality with out upsetting main conflicts among the many inhabitants and jeopardizing meals safety.
Nonetheless, Zeddies, who himself grew up on a farm, nonetheless sees unanswered questions. For example, the prices of those techniques are larger than for typical open-space techniques. As agrivoltaics additionally delivers decrease electrical energy yields, these preliminary investments solely amortize very slowly.
“Without subsidies, it will presumably not be possible to install many systems,” he says.
Extra data:
Hendrik Hilmar Zeddies et al, Agrivoltaics will increase public acceptance of photo voltaic vitality manufacturing on agricultural land, Land Use Coverage (2025). DOI: 10.1016/J.Landuspol.2025.107604
Offered by
University of Bonn
Quotation:
Nice potential exists for photo voltaic cells on grain fields or pastures, finds examine (2025, Might 20)
retrieved 20 Might 2025
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