UK farmers perceptions of Agrivoltaics.

Evans, Megan and Markusson, Nils and Willis, Rebecca (2024) UK farmers perceptions of Agrivoltaics. Masters thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Agrivoltaics (A.V) is thought to help work towards the global sustainable transition, as we endeavour to produce more ‘green’ electricity. A.V combines farming, ‘agri’, and solar photovoltaics, ‘voltaics’, in attempt to provide a land-use and resource efficient solution to meet both food demands and climate incentives. There has been many studies looking at the efficacy of A.V on farmland and how it benefits farmers through increased crop growth and income diversification. Yet, there hasn’t been much consideration in literature to the fact that it may not be an upscaled solution in the UK, due to different place-based contexts such as climatic conditions and land quality grading. As a result, farmers are rightfully pragmatic, questioning its place in their farming business model. So, my research focuses on the agency of farmers, as a way to empower their decision-making in deciding to adopt new technologies. The research method comprises of interviewing UK farmers and land developers with various levels of A.V knowledge, as they are at the centre of decision-making in employing A.V on their land. The interviews allow for a discussion in terms of how they come to understand A. V’s role in the UK, and their personal values, which are important to consider as they inform their decisions in accepting or rejecting A.V on an individual level. The major findings in this study show that we should not assume universal acceptance of such technologies. The rejection of such technology should not lead to farmer’s being perceived as traditional, rather, we should endeavour to focus on how technologies come to be understood and accepted, and empower the farmer’s decision making, rather than focusing on how A.V acts in a defined set of circumstances or contexts, as A.V literature often has referred to.