How much land area does a photovoltaic need?

We find that conventional photovoltaic will require 0.5 to 1.2% of global land area to meet projected energy demands by 2085 without accounting for climate change effects. When considering climate impacts, this requirement increases to 0.7–1.5% of the global land area.

Does solar energy affect land use change?

Although the transition to renewable energies will intensify the global competition for land, the potential impacts driven by solar energy remain unexplored. In this work, the potential solar land requirements and related land use change emissions are computed for the EU, India, Japan and South Korea.

Is solar energy a good option for land use?

However, recent studies based on satellite views of utility-scale solar energy (USSE) under operation, either in the form of photovoltaics (PV) or concentrated solar power (CSP), show that their land use efficiency (LUE) is up to six times lower than initial estimates 17, 18, 19.

Does land use for solar energy compete with other land uses?

Based on the spatially defined LUE of solar energy, as well as the identified potential for solar energy in urban areas, deserts and dry scrublands, land use for solar energy competes with other land uses through the inherent relative profitability of each land use.

Which countries have solar land requirements and related land use change emissions?

In this work, the potential solar land requirements and related land use change emissions are computed for the EU, India, Japan and South Korea. A novel method is developed within an integrated assessment model which links socioeconomic, energy, land and climate systems.

Does utility-scale solar energy change land cover and protected areas?

Utility-scale solar energy (USSE) [i.e., ≥1 megawatt (MW)] development requires large quantities of space and land; however, studies quantifying the effect of USSE on land cover change and protected areas are limited.