In this survey, we invite you to assess the potential impacts of ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) systems on ecosystems and their services in Switzerland.
Ground‑mounted PV systems consist of solar panels installed directly on the land surface, typically covering multiple hectares. However, this land might already be used for other purposes, such as agriculture or forestry, providing various ecosystem services, such as habitat quality and recreation potential. In some cases, PV installations might create synergies for both energy production and ecosystem services. In other cases, they might come into conflict, resulting in trade‑offs.
In this survey, we ask you to envision the allocation of PV systems within different land use and land cover (LULC) types in Switzerland, including open and closed forests, agricultural areas (permanent crops and intensive agriculture), overgrown and shrubland, alpine pastures, and grasslands and meadows. How would the installation and operation of ground-mounted PV systems affect ecosystem services in Switzerland? To make this more concrete, please evaluate the potential impact of a PV system of the size of 100 x 100 metres within each LULC types.