A new study has demonstrated the regenerative effect that solar farms can have on degraded and depleted land, by sheltering it from harsh winds, pushing down surface and soil temperatures, and boosting soil moisture.
The study, published in the journal Geography and Sustainability, synthesises 147 individual studies on a range of different land types and across a range of climate variables, to see how solar farms interact with their immediate environment.
“Unlike the pollutant-dominant environmental impacts of fossil fuels, solar power exerts climate- and ecology-dominant influences on the entire environment,” the study finds.
“By changing land surface radiative properties, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems create new energy interaction interfaces with original ecosystems, thereby modifying land surface processes and associated climate variables.”
Across the 147 total studies analysed in the report’s meta-analysis, 609 solar farms were examined, the vast majority of which were located in the Northern Hemisphere, with the largest number in China (316), the United States (104), and India (44). This is consistent with their global rankings as the top three countries in terms of installed solar PV capacity.
Imagine plains reseeded with the native grasses to replenish the 8 feet of topsoil that used to be there while generating lots of electricity.
The only wrinkle I see is those areas with panels would not be able to support bison, which are a critical part of that ecosystem.
Family farms can install panels to provide cover for certain crops that are suffering from excessive heat and evaporation in the southern parts of the U.S…
Panels over canals and lakes reduce evaporation and cool the surrounding areas.
Not much downside to solar.
Why wouldn’t they be able to support bison? I have definitely seen solar successfully used for cow grazing pastures, and while cows are not bison, in terms of ability to destabilize a panel by throwing weight around and in terms of dietary needs, I can’t see what would make bison less suitable for this than cows.
I wrote my thoughts on this in response to another comment.
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Local details matter for things like this. Even if this is true in general, do not assume it will be true for your particular area. Sometimes it can even be true for your next door neighbor and not for you.
Local soils have a lot of small variation and those sometimes matter a lot.
