Changes in Land Use Due to the Development of Photovoltaic Solar Energy in the Region of Murcia (Spain)

Ramón Martínez-Medina (), Encarnación Gil-Meseguer and José María Gómez-Espín
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Ramón Martínez-Medina: Department of Specific Didactics, Faculty of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Cordoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Encarnación Gil-Meseguer: Departament of Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Murcia, 30001 Murcia, Spain
José María Gómez-Espín: Departament of Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Murcia, 30001 Murcia, Spain

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-21

Abstract: In recent years, the energy policies of both Spain and the European Union have pursued the development of renewable energies, including solar power. One way these installations will appear in the Region of Murcia is on bodies of water, which do not alter existing land uses, but ground-mounted solar energy installations do bring about such changes. The Region of Murcia is located in the south-eastern quadrant of the Iberian Peninsula. Positioned on the leeward side of the westerly zonal circulation, characteristic of mid-latitudes, and influenced by the layout of the Betic mountain ranges that cross it from north-west to south-east, it experiences significant scarcity and irregularity of rainfall. In contrast, it benefits from an abundance of sunlight, with more than 3400 h of sunshine per year. This makes it one of the most productive locations for capturing solar energy and converting it into electricity. As a result, the land occupied by photovoltaic parks has increased at the expense of dry farming areas, irrigated land, and woodland. High energy prices have also led to self-consumption measures, with solar panels being installed on the roofs of industrial buildings, floating panels in irrigation reservoirs, photovoltaic solar farms associated with desalination and lift irrigation pumps, and pressure required by localized irrigation, etc.

Keywords: renewable energy; photovoltaic; rain-fed; irrigation; scrubland; desalination; Region of Murcia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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