Analysis of the Characteristics of Farmers who Implement Solar Power Generation

Rural areas are rich in natural resources. By utilizing these local resources as renewable energy, it is expected to improve agricultural management, return profits to the community, and revitalize rural areas. For rural areas to benefit from renewable energy projects, it is vital that local farmers become the bearers of the renewable energy projects. It is important to clarify the attitudes and perceptions of farmers on these issues in order to expand the cases of farmers. Using survey data in 2017, this study analyzed the characteristics of conventional PV power generation, which is carried out on idle land and the roofs of agricultural facilities. As a result of the analysis, it was found that farmers with high expectations of “income from electricity sales” and “high sales” were more likely to have a solar power generation business, and those with high awareness of the challenges of “know-how” or “financing” were less likely to have that business. However, the results of the analysis in this paper may have been influenced by the presence of unobserved confounding factors ; for example, farmersʼ willingness to improve their management. In order to further analyze the implementation of solar power generation projects by farmers, it is important to conduct case studies of actual efforts based on the results of this analysis.