Observational Study on the Impact of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Development in Deserts on Local Air Temperature and Humidity
As an important form of clean energy, photovoltaic (PV) power generation is entering a rapid development phase. Qinghai, China is located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It has sufficient sunlight and rich heat and light resources, includes a large area of the Gobi Desert, and has become China’s large...
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doaj-ce624be225cc47d5b51c23de4b9013672020-11-25T02:54:16ZengMDPI AGSustainability2071-10502020-04-01123403340310.3390/su12083403Observational Study on the Impact of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Development in Deserts on Local Air Temperature and HumidityWei Wu0Shengjuan Yue1Xiaode Zhou2Mengjing Guo3Jiawei Wang4Lei Ren5Bo Yuan6State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, ChinaAs an important form of clean energy, photovoltaic (PV) power generation is entering a rapid development phase. Qinghai, China is located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It has sufficient sunlight and rich heat and light resources, includes a large area of the Gobi Desert, and has become China’s largest base for PV power generation. However, large-scale PV development in deserts changes the local surface energy distribution and impacts local microclimates. This study considered the Gonghe PV Power Plant in Qinghai as an example. Three monitoring stations were set up in the PV power plant, transition, and reference areas, and the influence of large-scale PV developments on the local air temperature and humidity was studied based on long-term, multi-point field observation data. The results showed that the overall daytime air temperature in the PV power plant had changed slightly (increased and decreased), while the night-time temperature dropped significantly. Specifically, in spring and summer, the daytime temperature increased slightly, with a maximum increase of 0.34 °C; in autumn and winter, the daytime temperature decreased slightly, with a maximum decrease of 0.26 °C; in all seasons, the night-time temperature decreased, with a maximum decrease of 1.82 °C during the winter night. The relative humidity in the PV power plant generally increased; except for a slight decrease in summer, the daytime and night-time relative humidity in spring, autumn, and winter always increased. The humidification in winter was the most significant, with increases of 5.00% and 4.76% for the transition and reference areas, respectively. The diurnal air temperature and relative humidity ranges in the PV power plant were greater than those outside the PV power plant. The results obtained in this field observation study could serve as a basis for quantitative evaluation of the microclimate effects of large-scale PV development in deserts and provide technical support for guiding the future planning and development of the PV industry.https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/8/3403desert arealarge-scale photovoltaic power plantfield observationair temperaturerelative humidity |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Wei Wu Shengjuan Yue Xiaode Zhou Mengjing Guo Jiawei Wang Lei Ren Bo Yuan |
spellingShingle |
Wei Wu Shengjuan Yue Xiaode Zhou Mengjing Guo Jiawei Wang Lei Ren Bo Yuan Observational Study on the Impact of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Development in Deserts on Local Air Temperature and Humidity Sustainability desert area large-scale photovoltaic power plant field observation air temperature relative humidity |
author_facet |
Wei Wu Shengjuan Yue Xiaode Zhou Mengjing Guo Jiawei Wang Lei Ren Bo Yuan |
author_sort |
Wei Wu |
title |
Observational Study on the Impact of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Development in Deserts on Local Air Temperature and Humidity |
title_short |
Observational Study on the Impact of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Development in Deserts on Local Air Temperature and Humidity |
title_full |
Observational Study on the Impact of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Development in Deserts on Local Air Temperature and Humidity |
title_fullStr |
Observational Study on the Impact of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Development in Deserts on Local Air Temperature and Humidity |
title_full_unstemmed |
Observational Study on the Impact of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Development in Deserts on Local Air Temperature and Humidity |
title_sort |
observational study on the impact of large-scale photovoltaic development in deserts on local air temperature and humidity |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Sustainability |
issn |
2071-1050 |
publishDate |
2020-04-01 |
description |
As an important form of clean energy, photovoltaic (PV) power generation is entering a rapid development phase. Qinghai, China is located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It has sufficient sunlight and rich heat and light resources, includes a large area of the Gobi Desert, and has become China’s largest base for PV power generation. However, large-scale PV development in deserts changes the local surface energy distribution and impacts local microclimates. This study considered the Gonghe PV Power Plant in Qinghai as an example. Three monitoring stations were set up in the PV power plant, transition, and reference areas, and the influence of large-scale PV developments on the local air temperature and humidity was studied based on long-term, multi-point field observation data. The results showed that the overall daytime air temperature in the PV power plant had changed slightly (increased and decreased), while the night-time temperature dropped significantly. Specifically, in spring and summer, the daytime temperature increased slightly, with a maximum increase of 0.34 °C; in autumn and winter, the daytime temperature decreased slightly, with a maximum decrease of 0.26 °C; in all seasons, the night-time temperature decreased, with a maximum decrease of 1.82 °C during the winter night. The relative humidity in the PV power plant generally increased; except for a slight decrease in summer, the daytime and night-time relative humidity in spring, autumn, and winter always increased. The humidification in winter was the most significant, with increases of 5.00% and 4.76% for the transition and reference areas, respectively. The diurnal air temperature and relative humidity ranges in the PV power plant were greater than those outside the PV power plant. The results obtained in this field observation study could serve as a basis for quantitative evaluation of the microclimate effects of large-scale PV development in deserts and provide technical support for guiding the future planning and development of the PV industry. |
topic |
desert area large-scale photovoltaic power plant field observation air temperature relative humidity |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/8/3403 |
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