Welcome to my latest blog post on the fascinating world of solar. Whether you are already a part of the growing number of homeowners with solar panels for your home, considering seeking out solar companies for installation, or just someone interested in the future of renewable energy, I believe you’ll find this study noteworthy.
Research was conducted recently by scientists in the United States and China on an interesting aspect of solar installations — the effect of solar farms on albedo, vegetation, and land surface temperature (LST). The study observed 116 solar farms across the globe, making use of remote sensing data from MODIS, an instrument onboard NASA’s renowned Terra and Aqua satellites. Thanks to the broad coverage and high spatial resolution of these satellites, they were able to analyze changes in surface properties in very fine detail.
Interestingly, the researchers discovered that the cooling effect of solar farms was more marked during the day. They observed an average cooling effect of -0.49 K in the daytime, compared to -0.21 K during the nighttime. A fascinating find here is that 94 out of the 116 solar farms demonstrated land cooling in the daytime, while only 82 did so at night.
The study also noted a global decrease in albedo by -0.016 for most of the solar farms analyzed. For those scratching their heads on the term ‘albedo’, it simply refers to the measure of the diffused reflection of solar radiation out of the total solar radiation received by a celestial body. In simpler terms, it is a measure of surface reflectivity.
Furthermore, the overall enhanced vegetation index (EVI) dropped by -0.015, which equates to an 8.2% drop. Different parts of the world demonstrated varying regional patterns – all the solar farms in North America showed a decrease of 0.023 in the EVI, while about a third of the solar farms in East and South Asia actually showed an increase.
Interestingly, the impacts varied between photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies. As part of the study, a comparison was made between the two on the same type of land cover and in the same latitudinal band. The results showed that PV had a generally stronger impact than CSP on barren lands, except for a larger daytime cooling effect with CSP. Nonetheless, on croplands, PV had a weaker impact on albedo and daytime LST than CSP.
While solar companies may not usually delve into these details with homeowners looking to install a solar array for home use, these results are crucial in understanding the larger and broader impacts of creating solar farms.
The potential benefits of harnessing solar energy, be it on a large-scale solar farm or via solar panels for your home, are undeniable. But as with everything, it is imperative to understand the bigger picture and the ripple effects that our choices might provoke. This study sheds light on complexities that will undoubtedly play a role in shaping the future of solar.
And there you have it, yet another intriguing study adding to our understanding of this powerful and extensively promising energy source – solar. Until next time, keep looking out for more sun-powered insights!
Original Article: https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/01/10/the-effect-of-pv-plants-on-albedo-vegetation-land-temperature/
