AAAR 36th Annual Conference October 16 - October 20, 2017 Raleigh Convention Center Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Abstract View
Large Reductions in Solar Energy Production Due to Dust and Air Pollution
MICHAEL BERGIN, Chinmay Ghoroi, Deepa Dixit, James Schauer, Drew Shindell, Duke University
Abstract Number: 350 Working Group: Regional and Global Air Quality and Climate Modeling
Abstract Atmospheric Particulate matter (PM) diminishes solar energy production via several pathways: directly scattering and absorbing solar energy (direct effect), modifying cloud albedo and lifetime (indirect effect), and depositing to solar panel surfaces, thereby reducing solar energy transmittance to photovoltaics (PVs). This is particularly important in regions that experience high levels of wind-blown and/or fugitive dust emissions, as well as areas with poor air quality characterized by high PM levels. Worldwide solar energy production is expected to rapidly increase at a rate higher than any other renewable energy into the middle of this century, particularly in regions that experience high levels of dust and/or PM pollution including large areas of India, China, and the Arabian Peninsula. Here we combine field measurements and global modeling to estimate the influence of both ambient dust and PM related to anthropogenic sources (e.g. fossil and biomass fuel combustion) on the reduction of solar energy generation. We present measurements of the influence of deposited PM on solar panel transmittance in northwest India, and characterize the chemical components of the deposited particles including dust, as well as species linked with anthropogenic combustion sources including elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and ionic species. Results indicate that in several key regions solar energy production is being reduced by ~ 17-25%, with roughly equal contributions from ambient PM and PM deposited to PV surfaces. Solar power reductions of ~21% are predominantly attributable to dust in the Arabian Peninsula, whereas N. India experiences comparable contributions from dust (9%) and anthropogenic PM (7%). In contrast, 15% of the 17% reduction in eastern China is due to ambient and deposited PM from anthropogenic sources. Based on current solar energy capacity PM is responsible for ~823 MW and ~7400 MW of solar power reduction in India and China, respectively, underscoring the role that PM plays in reducing solar power generation.