Arnberger Daniela

 Education          

since 2009
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Masters program
„Environment and Bio-Resources Management”

2004-209
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Masters program
„Environment and Bio-Resources Management”

 

Master thesis associated with the PhD-Project
Human-Nature concepts

Citizen solar power plants in Austria – participation models, differentiation criteria and typification”

Since recent years an increasing number of private individuals in Austria have teamed up to build photovoltaic plants collectively. The main objective of this thesis is to analyse the development of citizen solar power plants and discuss their contribution to the Austrian climate goals. Therefore an inventory of the already built citizen solar power plants in Austria should be developed. It is essential to identify adequate criteria by which citizen solar power plants can be standardized.

It is essential to identify adequate comparative dimensions by which collective photovoltaic systems can be standardized. Beside the form of legal organization and financing, technical factors and strategies of mobilization (for example economic stimulation, personal connection) are such relevant comparative dimensions. With this inventory, possible connections and changes over time can be identified and led to creation of four types of citizen solar power plants (the passive partner; the risk capital investor; the idealistic benefit-maxi- mizer; the idealistic, alternative saver).

The following questions will be answered as part of this thesis:

  1. Which citizen participation models to finance and realize photovoltaic systems have been implemented in Austria so far?
  2. How can citizen owned solar power plants municipalities be categorized within Austrian?
  3. Which citizen participation types to realize photovoltaic systems can be distinguished based on the categorization in Austria?

 

Supervisors
supervisor: Penker Marianne, Ao.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn.
co-supervisor: Braito Michael, Mag.