A comparative study of the effects of photovoltaic power plants in desert and lake on the microclimate
The utility-scale deployment of photovoltaic (PV) power plants is critical for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and mitigating climate change. However, the impact of a PV power plant project on the microclimate is unclear for different underlying surfaces. Therefore, PV power pla...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Energy Reports |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352484723012076 |
| _version_ | 1797378698620436480 |
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| author | Peidu Li Yong Luo Ze He Junqing Zheng Xin Xia Zhouyi Liao Xiaoqing Gao |
| author_facet | Peidu Li Yong Luo Ze He Junqing Zheng Xin Xia Zhouyi Liao Xiaoqing Gao |
| author_sort | Peidu Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The utility-scale deployment of photovoltaic (PV) power plants is critical for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and mitigating climate change. However, the impact of a PV power plant project on the microclimate is unclear for different underlying surfaces. Therefore, PV power plants in deserts and lakes were selected to assess and compare the impact of PV array deployment on the environment by the observation. The results indicate that the PV array affected the wind pattern, the wind direction makes simple (from 10 m to 2 m), and wind speed in the PV site under two types of underlying surfaces was less than the reference site. For the PV power plant in desert, the delta (PV - REF) is increased from 0.12 m s−1 at 10 m to 0.27 m s−1 at 2 m. The counterpart in the lake is increased from 0.14 m s−1 at 10 m to 0.55 m s−1 at 2 m. However, the PV arrays had no effect on the air temperature at the center of the PV array gap. The difference in air temperature for two observation sites under two type of underlying surfaces was less than the resolution of instrument MaxiMet (0.1 °C). Instead, the heat from the PV panels is transmitted down to the land surface, causing a temperature effect in the desert and lakes. For the PV power plant in land, the arrays have heating effect on air temperature (The air temperature was 33.43 °C in the PV_land site, and 28.03 °C in the REF_land site in July, respectively). But the arrays have cooling effect on air temperature for the PV power plant in lake in the same month (PV_lake site, 28.58 °C; REF_lake site, 29.97 °C). Furthermore, evaporation is lower in the PV power plant owing to the physical shielding of PV arrays (For the land, the peak of hour evaporation (PV_land – REF_land) was 0.12 mm; for the lake, the peak of hour evaporation (PV_lake – REF_lake) was 0.32 mm). This study provides new evidence of the microclimate impact of photovoltaic array deployment on different underlying surfaces. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:11:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b887cd4570d4482aa8f6f4762b9ccdba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2352-4847 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:11:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Energy Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-b887cd4570d4482aa8f6f4762b9ccdba2023-12-23T05:21:30ZengElsevierEnergy Reports2352-48472023-11-011021282137A comparative study of the effects of photovoltaic power plants in desert and lake on the microclimatePeidu Li0Yong Luo1Ze He2Junqing Zheng3Xin Xia4Zhouyi Liao5Xiaoqing Gao6Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Plateau Atmosphere and Environment Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu 610225, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Corresponding author.Energy Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Macroeconomics Research, Beijing 100038, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaKey Laboratory of Land Surface Process and Climate Change in Cold and Arid Regions, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaThe utility-scale deployment of photovoltaic (PV) power plants is critical for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and mitigating climate change. However, the impact of a PV power plant project on the microclimate is unclear for different underlying surfaces. Therefore, PV power plants in deserts and lakes were selected to assess and compare the impact of PV array deployment on the environment by the observation. The results indicate that the PV array affected the wind pattern, the wind direction makes simple (from 10 m to 2 m), and wind speed in the PV site under two types of underlying surfaces was less than the reference site. For the PV power plant in desert, the delta (PV - REF) is increased from 0.12 m s−1 at 10 m to 0.27 m s−1 at 2 m. The counterpart in the lake is increased from 0.14 m s−1 at 10 m to 0.55 m s−1 at 2 m. However, the PV arrays had no effect on the air temperature at the center of the PV array gap. The difference in air temperature for two observation sites under two type of underlying surfaces was less than the resolution of instrument MaxiMet (0.1 °C). Instead, the heat from the PV panels is transmitted down to the land surface, causing a temperature effect in the desert and lakes. For the PV power plant in land, the arrays have heating effect on air temperature (The air temperature was 33.43 °C in the PV_land site, and 28.03 °C in the REF_land site in July, respectively). But the arrays have cooling effect on air temperature for the PV power plant in lake in the same month (PV_lake site, 28.58 °C; REF_lake site, 29.97 °C). Furthermore, evaporation is lower in the PV power plant owing to the physical shielding of PV arrays (For the land, the peak of hour evaporation (PV_land – REF_land) was 0.12 mm; for the lake, the peak of hour evaporation (PV_lake – REF_lake) was 0.32 mm). This study provides new evidence of the microclimate impact of photovoltaic array deployment on different underlying surfaces.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352484723012076Photovoltaic power plantOn-site observationDifferent underlying surfaceMicroclimate impact |
| spellingShingle | Peidu Li Yong Luo Ze He Junqing Zheng Xin Xia Zhouyi Liao Xiaoqing Gao A comparative study of the effects of photovoltaic power plants in desert and lake on the microclimate Energy Reports Photovoltaic power plant On-site observation Different underlying surface Microclimate impact |
| title | A comparative study of the effects of photovoltaic power plants in desert and lake on the microclimate |
| title_full | A comparative study of the effects of photovoltaic power plants in desert and lake on the microclimate |
| title_fullStr | A comparative study of the effects of photovoltaic power plants in desert and lake on the microclimate |
| title_full_unstemmed | A comparative study of the effects of photovoltaic power plants in desert and lake on the microclimate |
| title_short | A comparative study of the effects of photovoltaic power plants in desert and lake on the microclimate |
| title_sort | comparative study of the effects of photovoltaic power plants in desert and lake on the microclimate |
| topic | Photovoltaic power plant On-site observation Different underlying surface Microclimate impact |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352484723012076 |
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