Analyzing the Impact of Agrophotovoltaic Power Plants on the Amenity Value of Agricultural Landscape: The Case of the Republic of Korea

Tae-Hwa Kim, Ki-Suk Chun and Seung-Ryong Yang
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Tae-Hwa Kim: Department of Food and Resource Economics, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
Ki-Suk Chun: Department of Food and Resource Economics, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
Seung-Ryong Yang: Department of Food and Resource Economics, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 20, 1-16

Abstract: Recently, in Korea, there have been some disturbing events forcing a trade-off between the expansion of agrophotovoltaic (APV) power plants and the agricultural policy to enhance the public benefit function of agriculture. Under this context, this study attempts to examine the public perception of agricultural landscape and the APV power plants and to analyze the impact of APV power plants on the amenity value of the agricultural landscape. The results of the analysis based on the choice experiment method shows that the marginal willingness-to-pay for a rural tourism accommodation with a ‘agricultural landscape view’ is USD 64.37 higher compared to ‘agrophotovoltaics panel view.’ This implies that the value of the agricultural landscape decreases when solar panels are installed on farmland, signifying the detrimental impact of the APV power plants on the multi-functionality of agriculture. If the installation of APVs is expanded to farmlands nationwide, the amenity value of agricultural landscape is estimated to decrease by USD 1.70 billion or 55.0% of the total estimated amenity value in Korea.

Keywords: trade-off; agrophotovoltaics; agricultural landscape; multi-functionality of agriculture; choice experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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