Operational Performance of Aquavoltaics Under Different Stakeholder Cooperation Schemes: Evidence from White Shrimp Aquaculture in Taiwan

Abstract

Aquaculture faces rising climate-change risks, while photovoltaic power generation requires substantial land resources, underscoring the need for multifunctional land use in the energy transition. Aquavoltaics-combining aquaculture with solar power-has emerged, and its success depends on stakeholder cooperation. Using white shrimp aquaculture in Taiwan as a case study, this study examines four cooperation schemes-a sole-investment scheme, a photovoltaic-led leasing scheme, a landowner lease-back scheme, and a separated aquaculture and photovoltaic operation scheme-across six aquavoltaic types. Cost-benefit and data envelopment analyses assess the economic returns and operational efficiency of aquaculture operators and photovoltaic companies under each scheme. The results show that all schemes offer profit potential but differ in efficiency and income distribution. The landowner lease-back scheme is most efficient for aquaculture operators, while photovoltaic companies operate near the efficiency frontier in all schemes. The findings highlight that cooperation design shapes the economic feasibility, efficiency, and livelihood impact of aquavoltaic systems, providing a useful reference for future policy and model design.