A study comparing the effectiveness of PV panels and afforestation in mitigating climate change found that PV panels outperformed afforestation, especially in semi-arid regions, where they began contributing to climate change mitigation after about 2.5 years, more than 50 times faster than forests. . . Recognizing the many benefits of forests, research has highlighted the effectiveness of photovoltaics in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and mitigating the effects of climate change.
A study suggests that photovoltaic fields are more effective than forests in mitigating global climate change. Forests absorb carbon to mitigate climate change, and photovoltaics reduce dependence on fossil fuels. However, both approaches increase the overall heat load because darker soil surfaces absorb more heat.
Aerial view of Yatti Forest with the neighboring Negev Desert in the background. Jonathan D. Written by Mueller
Study of the efficiency of photovoltaic and forestry fields
Raphael Stern, Jonathan Müller and their colleagues studied which land uses - trees or solar panels - would more quickly offset the heat generated by darkening the surface. Researchers measured the surface albedo of a solar field in an extremely dry area in the Arava Valley in Israel.
One of the authors working on measurement systems. Jonathan D. Written by Mueller
Deforestation data were measured at a research station located in the Yatir Forest on the northern edge of the Negev Desert. The authors used these data to calculate the equalization time required to balance positive radiative forcing due to reduced positive radiative forcing and negative radiative forcing due to carbon sequestration from photovoltaic cell production or carbon sequestration in forests.
Results and implications
In semi-arid lands, PV panels pay for themselves and begin providing climate change mitigation benefits in about two and a half years, 50 times faster than afforestation. In wetlands, the space is not as wide, but the solar panels are higher.
An aerial view of a solar field in Wadi Araba. Jonathan D. Written by Mueller
The authors point out that forests provide many benefits beyond climate change mitigation, including ecosystems, climate regulation, and social services.
References: “PV fields far outperform forests in global climate change mitigation strategies” Raphael Stern, Jonathan D. Mueller, Eyal Rotenberg, Madi Amer, Lior Segev and Dan Yakir, November 21, 2023, PNAS Nexus .
doi: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad352
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