Conversion of Post-Socialist Agricultural Premises as a Chance for Renewable Energy Production. Photovoltaics or Biogas Plants?

Abstract

We aim to contribute to in-depth comprehension of the factors and preferences behind the reuses of large-scale underused or abandoned former collective farms from the 1950s–1980s for biogas plants and solar photovoltaic power plants. As a case study, three regions in the southern part of the Czech Republic have been selected. Our findings signal that the residents’ attitudes towards the mentioned energy sources are rather negative. Similarly, farmers’ interest in photovoltaic power plants is low. More interest has been detected in the case of biogas production; this is especially true for large agricultural companies and farmers, who own underused or abandoned premises. Biogas plants are frequently located in agricultural areas with warmer or just slightly colder climates as a consequence of the potential to process locally grown maize. On the other hand, photovoltaic power plants are found on more fertile plains with high levels of insolation, but, surprisingly, also in mountain regions which typically have low emissions. Both renewable energy solutions were found to be problematic as there is strong opposition to both types of installations among local inhabitants. This indicates the need for “soft” forms of planning. Stakeholder engagement and inclusive participation in all phases of the planning process are essential requirements for arriving at the best possible outcomes for the new renewable energy solutions and their acceptance by the public.

Brownfields, Environmental Stability and Renewable Energy: Pathways to Overcome the Imperfection of Cumulative Effect Assessment

“…Obtaining energy as a secondary resource during the redevelopment of lands contaminated by waste is possible using the potential of bacteria (composting, etc.). Another example is post-socialist countries, where many agricultural lands have been degraded; these territories are used for the production of renewable energy using photoelectric installations [100]. Thus, the integration of brownfields or AED into the energy system (the choice of redevelopment design) can be optimally implemented only by correct cumulative effect assessment.…”

Preference and paradox: Local residents’ perspectives on the reuse of post‐agricultural brownfield sites

“…The spatial distribution of brownfields is not random (Liu et al, 2014); and the same applies for post-agricultural brownfields (Navratil et al, 2019). This uneven spatial distribution can often be associated with environmental, economic and social injustice (Chang et al, 2019;Dillon, 2014).…”

“…There is a variety of regeneration possibilities for large-scale agricultural brownfields (Klusacek et al, 2022a(Klusacek et al, , 2022bNavratil et al, 2020). Previously, productive types of reuse of post-agricultural brownfields were identified-agricultural uses (Klusacek et al, 2021a(Klusacek et al, , 2021b and industrial uses (Navratil et al, 2021;Schwarz et al, 2009). But there are many other different possibilities found for similar sites, such as housing (Glumac & Islam, 2020), cultural and/or retail centres (Maliene et al, 2012), a variety of facilities for leisure activities (De Sousa & Spiess, 2018;Martinat et al, 2018), parks and open green spaces with different landscaping parks (De Sousa, 2006;Loures, 2015) or fields and meadows (Navratil et al, 2019).…”

“…Study area and location of study sites (Navratil et al, 2019). Preferences for brownfield reuse are also somewhat driven by spatial proximity between respondents and brownfields (Doucet et al, 2011a;Rink & Arndt, 2016).…”

“…Different remediation methods of derelict spaces can prevent losses from the uncontrolled consumption of 'free' land presented by rural spaces and areas adjacent to urban areas (Glumac & Decoville, 2020) and thus save agricultural land as well as forests and wetlands (Beckers et al, 2020;Nguyen & Kim, 2020) from urban sprawl. Throughout the countryside of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries, abandoned premises of collectivized agriculture are very common (Skala et al, 2013;Svobodova & Veznik, 2009) and are usually very large (Navratil et al, 2019); their reuse potential is important for sustainable development of rural spaces without consuming 'free' land (Ferrara et al, 2014;Grekousis & Mountrakis, 2015).…”