RSE has published the study “Regionalized Life Cycle Analysis of Ecosystem External Cost Associated with Land-Use Change in Photovoltaic Systems” on the ecosystem external costs of large photovoltaic plants in agricultural areas.

The research, written by Andrea Molocchi, Giulio Mela, Elisabetta Brivio e Pierpaolo Girardi, Department of Sustainable Development and Energy Sources, published in Land, proposes an innovative methodology based on the monetary valuation of ecosystem services linked to land use change and on a regionalized LCA approach. The work addresses a crucial question in the public debate: do large scale photovoltaic systems built in areas of intensive agriculture cause significant net damage to ecosystem services?

The analysis shows that, in intensive cereal growing contexts, ground mounted PV plants can generate a net benefit for ecosystem services compared to the ex ante situation, while elevated agrivoltaics results in a slight net external cost. The study provides new evidence for energy and land use planning.