CO-LOCATION FOR CO-BENEFITS: The SWOC analysis of brightfields and agrivoltaics

Thomas J. Fiorelli, Yeongseo Yu, Yekang Ko, Kirk Dimond, Makena Coffman

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Decades of successful solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in Pacific Rim nations and around the world have proven it to be a viable renewable energy solution with numerous benefits. However, PV projects have shown various weaknesses and challenges such as inefficient land use, land-use conflicts, physical constraints, and political and economical uncertainty. Planners today confront a green dilemma in which energy production, green spaces, farmlands, space for recreation, and urban development are often mutually exclusive land uses. This chapter offers insight into leveraging opportunities from an emerging field of research that seeks to co-locate solar with symbiotic land uses. We discuss solar co-location through a triple-bottom-line lens to highlight the economic, environmental, and social tradeoffs involved and explore how this strategy can increase land-use efficiency and produce co-benefits. This chapter focuses on two popular co-location concepts. We aim to highlight how brightfields (BF)—PV paired with brownfields—and agrivoltaics (APV)—PV paired with agriculture—can build upon the strengths and opportunities of conventional PV and overcome its weaknesses and challenges. This chapter draws on six case studies to demonstrate how tradeoff decisions related to planning and design factors can be assessed in real-world scenarios.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationThe Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Cities and Landscapes in the Pacific Rim
PublisherTaylor and Francis
Pages449-470
Number of pages22
ISBN (Electronic)9781000532494
ISBN (Print)9780367471149
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2022

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Engineering
  • General Arts and Humanities
  • General Social Sciences
  • General Environmental Science
  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

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