Economic and Social Aspects of Using Energy from PV and Solar Installations in Farmers’ Households in the Podkarpackie Region

Abstract

The growing energy needs of agriculture, the need to reduce the burning of fossil fuels, and, on the other hand, the increasing technical efficiency are contributing to the wider use of solar energy technology in agriculture. The aim of the article is to identify factors determining farmers’ investments in solar photovoltaic and solar thermal installations for electricity and heat production, to establish the proportion between the consumption of such energy for the needs of the farmer’s family and for the needs of the farm, and to identify the drivers of solar energy use in agricultural production. Empirical materials were collected through surveys of farmers conducted at the end of 2020 in south-eastern Poland, in the Podkarpackie region. It is a region characterized by significant land fragmentation. Producing energy from renewable sources can be an opportunity for farmers not only to reduce household expenses, but also to increase agricultural income. As a result, it can be a driver of sustainable agricultural development in the region. The article presents the most important economic and social determinants that stimulate the adoption of solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies by farmers for the needs of their households as well as for agricultural production.

The Role of Buildings in Rural Areas: Trends, Challenges, and Innovations for Sustainable Development

“…In particular, Table 2 shows that energy-efficient rural buildings were described in terms of energy consumption and insulation. Several researchers described adopting alternative energy sources as a tool for self-sufficiency in rural/marginal areas, cost-saving and sustainable farming [86,87]. However, our analysis found a gap regarding thermal energy, which needs to be adequately coordinated with other energy forms.…”

Poland as the EU Leader in Terms of Photovoltaic Market Growth Dynamics—Behind the Scenes

“…Summarizing the research results, it was noticed that, surprisingly, as presented in the Photovoltaics in Poland section, the sudden and rapid increase in interest in individual investments in photovoltaics was not caused by climatic conditions [64,65] and the growing concern for the natural environment [66,67], but by numerous and very beneficial programs for individual recipients of co-financing investments in photovoltaic installations and favorable settlements regarding the surplus of solar energy produced [60]. An additional stimulus on the part of consumers concerned increasing energy prices-in Poland in 2020 alone electricity prices for individual consumers increased by over 10% [63]-as well as innovative and more and more effective technologies [50,[68][69][70].…”

“…Numerous studies of this phenomenon also show that climatic conditions [64,65] and growing environmental awareness [66,67], as well as innovative and increasingly effective technologies, are also important [50,68,69].…”

Study on the effective use of solar and hydro energy for powering agriculture and water management

“…It is crucial to have thorough understanding of the local water resources and to build the system appropriately in order to obtain a dependable generation of energy [13,14]. On the other hand, due to their self-sufficiency and low energy prices, solar energy applications in agriculture are expanding for irrigation, lighting, heating, cooling, and drying, which eventually lowers production costs and saves a sizeable amount of investment [15,16]. Solar energy is also getting more cost-effective and efficient, which effectively lowers global warming and makes it a practical answer for climate change issues [17][18][19][20][21].…”