Land use conflicts between biomass and power production–citizens’ participation in the technology development of Agrophotovoltaics

Abstract

Despite the technical feasibility of renewable energy technologies and their contribution to climate-friendly power production public opposition can be a hurdle for new installations of renewable energy plants. This study assesses citizens’ perceptions of the Agrophotovoltaics (APV) technology by applying the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) concept. APV combines biomass cultivation and solar power production at the same site in order to reduce land use conflict of food vs. energy production. In a workshop, citizens’ perception on APV before building the first pilot plant was investigated to analyze relevant aspects for the innovation process and its framework at an early stage of the technology development process. This paper describes the findings from this workshop focusing on the impact of APV on landscape, biodiversity, economy, and on the requirements for regulatory framework.