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34 FEATURE ARTICLE
Table 1: Impacts on climate change from solar power, relative to traditional US power generation7*
Impact category Effective relative to Beneficial or Priority Comments
traditional power detrimental
Global climate High Strong benefit
CO2 emissions Reduces CO2 emissions Beneficial High Strong benefit
Other GHG Reduces GHG Beneficial Low
emissions emissions Neutral The magnitude of the
Change in surface Lower albedo Moderate effect to low
albedo Unknown Low
Local climate Lower albedo Unknown Need research and
Change in surface observation
albedo Unknown Need research and
Other surface observation
energy flows
cost-effective means of increasing crisis, solar panels have now air temperature, decreased
renewable energy generation and started becoming an integral part humidity, changed wind patterns,
decreasing GHG emissions.4 of rooftops in the urban areas. formation of ground-level ozone,
Solar panels absorb solar energy heat-related mortality, etc.
Solar Power and India to produce energy, either in the
form of heat (in case of solar In this solar rush, the possible
On a worldwide level, awareness thermal panels) or as electricity. adverse effects of solar PV
about the renewable energy wave Thus, they modify the energy installations are being overlooked.
is resulting in huge investments in balance of the urban surface in One of such negative impact
this field. India itself has ambitious contact with the atmosphere and is the effect on the temperature
targets for harnessing solar thus possibly influence the urban in the urban areas due to
energy. microclimate. They also change SPV installations.
the radiation received by the roof
India’s solar market, especially and influence the overall heat Few studies looking into the
solar photovoltaic, has seen fluxes (radiative and convective) to relation of SPV and heat island
significant growth after the launch the atmosphere. effect in deserts as well as urban
of the Jawaharlal Nehru National areas have produced a mixed bag
Solar Mission in 2010, with Urban Heat Island Effect of results. Turney and Fthenakis
installed capacity of over 3 GW and SPV investigated 32 impacts from the
in just 4 years.5 According to the life stages of solar farms which are
Ministry of New and Renewable Rapid urbanization and broadly divided into five sections:
Energy (MNRE), India has an industrialization have resulted in land use, human health and
ambitious target of 100,000 MW warmer cities. The urban heat well-being, wildlife and habitat,
by 2022, out of which 40,000 MW island effect (UHIE) is defined geo-hydrological resources, and
shall be rooftop. MNRE has also as the rise in temperature within climate and GHG emissions. The
announced the Rooftop PV and man-made areas.6 The UHIE impacts have been categorized as
Small Solar Power Generation intensity is an indicator of urban either beneficial or neutral, with
Programme (RPSSGP) under phase heating, which is the maximum the exception of the ‘local climate’
I of the solar mission to encourage difference between urban and effects for which they concluded
grid connected projects. rural air. It varies between 5 °C that research and observation
to 14 °C within climate zones. are needed.
Driven by various national Increased temperatures have a
schemes and the rising energy negative effect on the health and PV panels have low reflectivity
microclimate , such as increased and conversion efficiency variation
4 Arnette A N. 2013. Integrating Rooftop between 13%–20% which results
Solar into a Multi-source Energy Planning 6 Oke T R. 1982. ‘The Energetic Basis of the in conversion of most of the
Optimization Model. Appl. Energ. 111, Urban Heat Island’. Royal Meteorologica incident solar radiation, that is 80%
456–467. Doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2013.s Society 108 (455): 1–24.5 into heat which can alter the air
05.003.3 flow and temperature profiles near
7 Refer to footnote 1 the panels. Such changes may,
5 TERI, MNRE, and Shakti Foundation. 2014.
Reaching the Sun with Rooftop Solar,
p. 62. Delhi: The Energy and Resources
Institute.
DECEMBER 2017
Table 1: Impacts on climate change from solar power, relative to traditional US power generation7*
Impact category Effective relative to Beneficial or Priority Comments
traditional power detrimental
Global climate High Strong benefit
CO2 emissions Reduces CO2 emissions Beneficial High Strong benefit
Other GHG Reduces GHG Beneficial Low
emissions emissions Neutral The magnitude of the
Change in surface Lower albedo Moderate effect to low
albedo Unknown Low
Local climate Lower albedo Unknown Need research and
Change in surface observation
albedo Unknown Need research and
Other surface observation
energy flows
cost-effective means of increasing crisis, solar panels have now air temperature, decreased
renewable energy generation and started becoming an integral part humidity, changed wind patterns,
decreasing GHG emissions.4 of rooftops in the urban areas. formation of ground-level ozone,
Solar panels absorb solar energy heat-related mortality, etc.
Solar Power and India to produce energy, either in the
form of heat (in case of solar In this solar rush, the possible
On a worldwide level, awareness thermal panels) or as electricity. adverse effects of solar PV
about the renewable energy wave Thus, they modify the energy installations are being overlooked.
is resulting in huge investments in balance of the urban surface in One of such negative impact
this field. India itself has ambitious contact with the atmosphere and is the effect on the temperature
targets for harnessing solar thus possibly influence the urban in the urban areas due to
energy. microclimate. They also change SPV installations.
the radiation received by the roof
India’s solar market, especially and influence the overall heat Few studies looking into the
solar photovoltaic, has seen fluxes (radiative and convective) to relation of SPV and heat island
significant growth after the launch the atmosphere. effect in deserts as well as urban
of the Jawaharlal Nehru National areas have produced a mixed bag
Solar Mission in 2010, with Urban Heat Island Effect of results. Turney and Fthenakis
installed capacity of over 3 GW and SPV investigated 32 impacts from the
in just 4 years.5 According to the life stages of solar farms which are
Ministry of New and Renewable Rapid urbanization and broadly divided into five sections:
Energy (MNRE), India has an industrialization have resulted in land use, human health and
ambitious target of 100,000 MW warmer cities. The urban heat well-being, wildlife and habitat,
by 2022, out of which 40,000 MW island effect (UHIE) is defined geo-hydrological resources, and
shall be rooftop. MNRE has also as the rise in temperature within climate and GHG emissions. The
announced the Rooftop PV and man-made areas.6 The UHIE impacts have been categorized as
Small Solar Power Generation intensity is an indicator of urban either beneficial or neutral, with
Programme (RPSSGP) under phase heating, which is the maximum the exception of the ‘local climate’
I of the solar mission to encourage difference between urban and effects for which they concluded
grid connected projects. rural air. It varies between 5 °C that research and observation
to 14 °C within climate zones. are needed.
Driven by various national Increased temperatures have a
schemes and the rising energy negative effect on the health and PV panels have low reflectivity
microclimate , such as increased and conversion efficiency variation
4 Arnette A N. 2013. Integrating Rooftop between 13%–20% which results
Solar into a Multi-source Energy Planning 6 Oke T R. 1982. ‘The Energetic Basis of the in conversion of most of the
Optimization Model. Appl. Energ. 111, Urban Heat Island’. Royal Meteorologica incident solar radiation, that is 80%
456–467. Doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2013.s Society 108 (455): 1–24.5 into heat which can alter the air
05.003.3 flow and temperature profiles near
7 Refer to footnote 1 the panels. Such changes may,
5 TERI, MNRE, and Shakti Foundation. 2014.
Reaching the Sun with Rooftop Solar,
p. 62. Delhi: The Energy and Resources
Institute.
DECEMBER 2017
