Potential analysis of AgroVoltaics in Austria in the context of climate change – with special respect to environmental, economic and social aspects - Mechanization & Potential analysis

The Project PA3C3 assesses the combined use of agricultural land for the production of food/feed and solar electricity as climate change mitigation and adaptation measure aiming for a maximisation of land use efficiency. Combining agricultural production and photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation models, life cycle assessment (LCA), as well as qualitative assessments of the public perception and anticipation of this integrated use of agricultural land, will allow deriving a fundamental understanding of the potentials and challenges for AgroVoltaic-systems in Austria. The combination of agriculture and PV electricity production on the same agricultural field with AgroVoltaics is expected to raise the overall output of a given area and additionally contribute to climate change adaptation of agriculture. On the other side there are also challenges like shading effects on plant production, additional environmental impacts due to PV-modules production or social acceptance to deal with.