The multi-functionality of ecovoltaics: comparative analysis of large-scale solar regulatory frameworks in New South Wales and England

Ecovoltaics offer a critical solution to the land use conflict between large-scale solar (photovoltaic) energy generation and biodiversity regeneration. No universal definition of ecovoltaics exists, and its implementation has been confined to ecological scholarship and pilot studies in European Union countries, the United Kingdom and the United States. For the purposes of facilitating holistic land use balance, this paper defines ecovoltaics as the multi-functional cooperation between energy, social and ecological land use. To develop this proposed eco-social cooperation, this paper provides the first socio-legal comparative study on the barriers and opportunities to implement ecovoltaics in existing large-scale solar regulatory frameworks. New South Wales (Australia) and England were selected as the primary comparative jurisdictions, since both Commonwealth jurisdictions are attempting to address biodiversity degradation caused by intensified land use change, and the identification of similarities and differences in their environmental impact assessment procedures indicate the extent ecovoltaics could be implemented in large-scale solar regulation. Integrating the multi-functionality of ecovoltaics into law is argued in this paper as necessary for a sustainable renewable energy transition.