Analysis and Evaluation of the Impacts of PV Utility Scale Power Plant on Local Micro Environment

28th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition; 4634-4639
To replace fossil fuel consumption, solar power is one of the most promising renewable energy, and PV utility scale power plant (PVUSPP) has been widely developed worldwide. By end of 2012, global cumulative installed solar PV capacity had achieved over 96.5 GW, and among them, 10+GW is PVUSPP, while total 15.3 GW of PV systems are in China and two thirds is PVUSPP. PVUSPP can have some impacts on the local environment while it produces clean electricity. Most PVUSPP are installed in those areas where local eco-system is very fragile with weak capability in self-recovery. The effects of PVUSPP on local environment including aspects of atmosphere, vegetation and electromagnetic environment, and should be analyzed and evaluated not just qualitatively but quantitatively as well. To evaluate the impacts before and after a PVUSPP installation on a highland Gobi, a research carried out in China. An observation platform has been developed in Golmud. The data of the natural conditions without PVPUPP and the long sequence environment data after its installation are collected. The local climate environmental data to be monitored and analyzed includes: Soil moisture and temperature at six (6) different depths (from 5cm to 180cm), atmospheric temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation inside/outside of the Station. Based upon the data collected and analyzed, the comparisons have been made and the local micro-climate changes have been found due to PVPUPP. It is found quantitatively that the installation of PVUSPP has evident impacts on local climate within the plant, particularly soil temperature, wind speed and direction closed to the ground, and atmospheric temperature and humidity.