An Eye Tracking Study on Visual Perception of Photovoltaic Panels in Various Landscape Types

The increasing number of photovoltaic installations being introduced into various types of landscapes creates a need to assess their impact on how space is perceived. At the same time, there is still a lack of objective, quantitative methods for evaluating changes in landscape perception based on the number of these elements. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of photovoltaic modules on landscape perception and to examine the usefulness of eye-tracking technology for this purpose. The database consists of AI-generated images representing natural areas and areas with varying degrees of urbanization. These scenes were modified by changing the number of photovoltaic elements. Eye-tracking analysis consisted of evaluating the resulting fixation, saccade maps, and heat maps. The results demonstrated a correlation between gaze fixation and the perceived acceptability of renewable energy sources (RES) installations, as well as a relationship between landscape type and the perceived presence of photovoltaic panels. Eye tracking has proven to be a useful tool for quantitative assessment of changes caused by the location of photovoltaic facilities in the surrounding area. The resulting measures can be used to compare different sustainability projects for selected areas.