Short project description

Have you ever wondered what agrivoltaics are? How can we combine food and renewable energy production on farmland? And in what cases (or not) this could be a valuable approach?

This project gives you the chance to contribute to a growing field at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and community engagement. Agrivoltaics could pave the way to a greener future, but its success depends on how well it’s accepted by farmers, policymakers, and local communities.

What You’ll Work On

You’ll have the freedom to collect your own data, conduct interviews, explore Virtual Reality tools, or dive into literature and media analysis. Agrivoltaics perception is an exciting and timely topic to explore through:

• Stakeholder Interviews: Talk to farmers, consultants, policymakers, and other stakeholders—locally or internationally—to understand their views on agrivoltaics.
• Innovative Tools: Use Virtual Reality (VR) headsets and/or farmer tours at pilot sites in Foulum or Slagelse to investigate how agrivoltaics are perceived and experienced.
• Social Media, Podcast and/or Magazine Analysis: Explore platforms like LinkedIn or industry magazines or podcasts to analyze how agrivoltaics is discussed, framed, and perceived in public and professional conversations.
• Creative Strategies: Develop actionable insights to understand when agrivoltaics make sense and how we can enhance its acceptance and integration into rural communities.

Additional information

Material that can be offered for data collection:

Virtual Reality headset to experience vertical and horizontal agrivoltaics as well as a conventional solarpark in the Foulum area.

Useful readings on how to design and conduct interviews:

Flick, U. (2018). Designing qualitative research.

Brinkmann, S., & Kvale, S. (2018). Doing interviews.

Useful readings on stakeholder acceptance of multifunctional land use systems such as agrivoltaics:

Torma, G., & Aschemann-Witzel, J. (2023). Social acceptance of dual land use approaches: Stakeholders' perceptions of the drivers and barriers confronting agrivoltaics diffusion. Journal of Rural Studies, 97, 610-625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.01.014

Torma, G., & Aschemann-Witzel, J. (2024). Sparking stakeholder support: Creating personas for renewable energy innovation adoption based on qualitative data analysis. Energy Research & Social Science, 109, 103407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2023.103407