TY - JOUR
T1 - The observed effects of utility-scale photovoltaics on near-surface air temperature and energy balance
AU - Broadbent, Ashley
AU - Krayenhoff, E. Scott
AU - Georgescu, Matei
AU - Sailor, David
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported atArizona State University by the National Science Foundation Sustainability Research Network (SRN) Cooperative Agreement 1444758, SES-1520803, and EAR-1204774. The authors would also like to express their gratitude to the Arizona Public Service for allowing access to the Red Rock solar power station, to Peter Crank, Amir Baniassadi, and Jannik Heusinger for assistance with sensor deployment, to Ian McHugh, Ben Crawford, and Andreas Christen for technical advice, and to Sean Evans for logistical assistance
Funding Information:
Acknowledgments. This work was supported at Arizona State University by the National Science Foundation Sustainability Research Network (SRN) Cooperative Agreement 1444758, SES-1520803, and EAR-1204774. The authors would also like to express their gratitude to the Arizona Public Service for allowing access to the Red Rock solar power station, to Peter Crank, Amir Baniassadi, and Jannik Heusinger for assistance with sensor deployment, to Ian McHugh, Ben Crawford, and Andreas Christen for technical advice, and to Sean Evans for logistical assistance.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 American Meteorological Society.
PY - 2019/5/1
Y1 - 2019/5/1
N2 - Utility-scale solar power plants are a rapidly growing component of the renewable energy sector. While most agree that solar power can decrease greenhouse gas emissions, the effects of photovoltaic (PV) systems on surface energy exchanges and near-surface meteorology are not well understood. This study presents data from two eddy covariance observational towers, placed within and adjacent to a utility-scale PV array in southern Arizona. The observational period (October 2017-July 2018) includes the full range of annual temperature variation. Average daily maximum 1.5-m air temperature at the PV array was 1.3°C warmer than the reference (i.e., non-PV) site, whereas no significant difference in 1.5-m nocturnal air temperature was observed. PV modules captured the majority of solar radiation and were the primary energetically active surface during the day. Despite the removal of energy by electricity production, the modules increased daytime net radiation Q* available for partitioning by reducing surface albedo. The PV modules shift surface energy balance partitioning away from upward longwave radiation and heat storage and toward sensible heat flux QH because of their low emissivity, low heat capacity, and increased surface area and roughness, which facilitates more efficient QH from the surface. The PV modules significantly reduce ground heat flux QG storage and nocturnal release, as the soil beneath the modules is well shaded. Our work demonstrates the importance of targeted observational campaigns to inform process-based understanding associated with PV systems. It further establishes a basis for observationally based PV energy balance models that may be used to examine climatic effects due to large-scale deployment.
AB - Utility-scale solar power plants are a rapidly growing component of the renewable energy sector. While most agree that solar power can decrease greenhouse gas emissions, the effects of photovoltaic (PV) systems on surface energy exchanges and near-surface meteorology are not well understood. This study presents data from two eddy covariance observational towers, placed within and adjacent to a utility-scale PV array in southern Arizona. The observational period (October 2017-July 2018) includes the full range of annual temperature variation. Average daily maximum 1.5-m air temperature at the PV array was 1.3°C warmer than the reference (i.e., non-PV) site, whereas no significant difference in 1.5-m nocturnal air temperature was observed. PV modules captured the majority of solar radiation and were the primary energetically active surface during the day. Despite the removal of energy by electricity production, the modules increased daytime net radiation Q* available for partitioning by reducing surface albedo. The PV modules shift surface energy balance partitioning away from upward longwave radiation and heat storage and toward sensible heat flux QH because of their low emissivity, low heat capacity, and increased surface area and roughness, which facilitates more efficient QH from the surface. The PV modules significantly reduce ground heat flux QG storage and nocturnal release, as the soil beneath the modules is well shaded. Our work demonstrates the importance of targeted observational campaigns to inform process-based understanding associated with PV systems. It further establishes a basis for observationally based PV energy balance models that may be used to examine climatic effects due to large-scale deployment.
KW - Atmosphere-land interaction
KW - Heat islands
KW - Local effects
KW - Renewable energy
KW - Surface fluxes
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U2 - 10.1175/JAMC-D-18-0271.1
DO - 10.1175/JAMC-D-18-0271.1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85066611205
SN - 1558-8424
VL - 58
SP - 989
EP - 1006
JO - Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
JF - Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
IS - 5
ER -