The land occupation problem of solar power generation

Does solar energy affect land use change?

Although the transition to renewable energies will intensify the global competition for land, the potential impacts driven by solar energy remain unexplored. In this work, the potential solar land requirements and related land use change emissions are computed for the EU, India, Japan and South Korea.

Does land use for solar energy compete with other land uses?

Based on the spatially defined LUE of solar energy, as well as the identified potential for solar energy in urban areas, deserts and dry scrublands, land use for solar energy competes with other land uses through the inherent relative profitability of each land use.

How does land use affect solar energy use in urban areas?

Solar energy in urban areas, Figure3. Land use change emissions related to land occupation per kWh of solar energy from 2020 to 2050, for electricity (independent of location). Uncertain ty bounds reect solar module eciency scenarios (reaching average eciencies of 20, 24 and 28% fo r modules installed in 2050; see Sec tion2c in SM).

Does solar power reduce land occupation?

Furthermore, as noted in Section 4.2, displacement of coal power with solar power leads to less land occupation per kW h on time scales beyond 27 years, and also less deposition of mercury, NO x, and sulfates , .

Which countries have solar land requirements and related land use change emissions?

In this work, the potential solar land requirements and related land use change emissions are computed for the EU, India, Japan and South Korea. A novel method is developed within an integrated assessment model which links socioeconomic, energy, land and climate systems.

Can land management regimes affect the allocation of new solar energy?

Scenarios are run until 2050, but delayed efects on carbon release or sequestration in vegetation and soils can be abstracted until 2100. The impact from land management regimes have been calculated through of-model calculations, as such regimes are assumed not to afect the allocation procedure of new solar energy.