Quantitative analyses of multidimensional ecological impacts of Talatan photovoltaic power plant on desert ecosystems in Northwestern China
Globally, solar energy has supplanted fossil fuels as the predominant source of clean energy. Scholars have been calling for techno-ecological synergies that minimizing unintended environmental consequences; however, empirical evidence is largely missing in the existing literature. Taking the world’...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/adf7c1 |
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| Summary: | Globally, solar energy has supplanted fossil fuels as the predominant source of clean energy. Scholars have been calling for techno-ecological synergies that minimizing unintended environmental consequences; however, empirical evidence is largely missing in the existing literature. Taking the world’s largest photovoltaic (PV) power plant as a demonstration, combining remote sensing images with field data, we actively used the spatiotemporal dynamic analysis, gross ecosystem products accounting method and statistical analysis methods to show techno-ecological synergies for electricity generation and ecological recovery. Specifically, our analyses reveal that (1) PV panels reduced surface albedo. The albedo of three broad spectral bands decreased by >15% in PV area; (2) comparing to areas between and outside the PV areas, areas under the PV panels enhanced vegetation cover by 61.86% (absolute coverage of 38.22%) and 131.80% (absolute coverage of 56.86%), unit area above-ground biomass by 133.71% (119 g) and 235.48% (146 g), and plant height by 31.02% (17.36 cm) and 45.58% (22.96 cm), respectively. Nevertheless, PV panels exerted a negative impact on soil organic matter but did not significantly affect other soil and vegetation indicators (i.e. soil water content, vegetation nitrogen content, and vegetation biodiversity, etc); and (3) PV panels improved ecosystem services. Specifically, from 2010 to 2020, among the four ecosystem regulating services, carbon sequestration and oxygen release increased by 178.46% (70.92 t km ^−2 and 51.58 t km ^−2 ), sand fixation by 13.76% (3920.19 t km ^−2 ), and soil retention by 4.16% (467.02 t km ^−2 ), respectively. Our study demonstrates a potentially sustainable mode in desert areas that supports vertical multiple land uses, improves the surface ecological environment while harnesses solar energy. With better understanding and management of the coupled human-natural energy systems, including the light allocation between PV panels, the selection of appropriate vegetation types beneath panels, and effective management, it is promising that there will be more techno-ecological synergies worldwide. |
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| ISSN: | 1748-9326 |