Photovoltaic sites are superior to reforestation as a strategy to mitigate the effects of global climate change , according to a study published in the journal PNAS Nexus .
Forests reduce climate change by sequestering carbon. Photovoltaic (PV) energy reduces climate change by replacing fossil fuels. Both increase the global heat load by darkening the Earth's surface and therefore absorbing heat.
Raphael Stern, Jonathan Mueller and their colleagues studied which land uses - trees or solar panels - would more quickly offset the increased heat they produce due to surface darkening. The authors measured surface albedo in the solar field in the hyperarid region of the Arava Valley, Israel.
Reforestation data were measured at a research station in the Yatir Forest at the northern edge of the Negev Desert. The authors used these data to calculate the compensation required to balance the positive radiative forcing associated with albedo reduction and the negative radiative forcing due to carbon sequestration from PV production or use-scale carbon sequestration.
In semi-arid areas, photovoltaic fields break down and start providing climate protection in about 2.5 years, which is more than fifty times faster than forest regeneration. In wetlands, the gap isn't as big, but solar panels still have an advantage.
The authors note that forests provide many benefits beyond climate change mitigation, including ecosystems, climate regulation and social services.
Further information: Raphael Stern et al., Photovoltaic sites significantly outperform reforestation in global climate protection strategies, PNAS Nexus (2023). DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad352.
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Quote : Solar panels vs. forest plantations: which slows climate change faster? (November 22, 2023), retrieved from https://techxplore.com/news/2023-11-solar-panels-forests-climate-faster.html on November 23, 2023.
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