<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/coal-pollution-is-significantly-reducing-the-output-of-solar-panels-leading-study-finds/>
"A new study has revealed that coal pollution is significantly reducing the
energy output of solar PV installations, particularly where they are located
side by side, in yet another of the never-ending cascade of problems with
coal-fired power.
The new research, led by the University of Oxford and University College London
(UCL) and published in the journal
Nature Sustainability, mapped and assessed
more than 140,000 solar PV installations across the globe using satellite data
– data that is now available for all to see in a new data visualisation tool at
https://pvfacilitymap.uk/.
The researchers combined atmospheric data on air pollution with the satellite
data of solar PV installations to calculate how much sunlight is lost, and how
this lost sunlight results in reduced electricity generation.
The data reveals that aerosols in the atmosphere reduced global solar
electricity output by 5.8 per cent in 2023 – equivalent to 111 terawatt-hours
(TWh) of lost electricity, or the amount generated by 18 medium-sized
coal-fired power plants.
Tracing the origins of these aerosol particles back to their original source
revealed coal-fired power generation to be a major contributor.
Coal plants emit a fine layer of pollution particles that scatter and absorb
sunlight, reducing the amount that reaches nearby solar panels, causing them to
generate less electricity than they otherwise would.
This effect was particularly evident in China, where solar and coal capacity
have been expanding in parallel and are often co-located. According to the
researchers, regions in China with high coal capacity closely aligned with
areas experiencing the greatest solar PV loss.
That meant that the world’s largest solar producer – generating 793.5 TWh of
solar electricity in 2023, or 41.5 per cent of the global total – also
experienced the largest losses from aerosols, with total solar output reduced
by 7.7 per cent.
The researchers estimated that approximately 29 per cent of aerosol-related
solar PV losses in China came specifically from coal-fired power plants.
The study also highlights the fact that these solar power losses due to coal
pollution are a significant and often overlooked constraint on the clean energy
transition."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
