WWF Report Finds Solar Land Use Doesn’t Conflict With Conservation Goals
Oh, naysayers, brace yourselves for this doozy! The World Wildlife Fund has come out with a report that land used for solar panels is an insignificant amount and does not conflict with conservation goals.
The WWF goes as far as saying that, if by 2050 100% of the world’s electricity was generated by solar farms alone, the total land mass used would be less than 1%.
It bears reiterating: less than 1%!
For we clean-tech cheerleaders, it’s hard to imagine arguments against solar photovoltaic projects, but some worry that there’s not enough room to go around for people, plants, animals, and solar farms. Chalk up another win for solar power, though, because in the report that the WWF put out with First Solar, 3Tier, and Fresh Generation, it’s clearly stated that when PV technology is well-planned, communities don’t have to choose between clean energy and nature.
The report looks at six countries — Indonesia, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa, Turkey — and the Indian state Madhya Pradesh, to see how diverse geographies, demographics, environments, and political structures – with differing amounts of average levels of sunshine – can deftly handle the parallel ambitions of protecting nature and encouraging clean technology.
Now, here’s the key: We can’t willy-nilly throw solar panels here, there, and everywhere. We’ve got to recognize that there are thousands of acres in already developed land where solar can easily fit. Some examples of existing land prime for solar power are on commercial parking lots; underneath high-voltage transmission lines; at abandoned industrial sites; and on the side of the road. Sure, even in these locales it’s important to think of safety, cost vs benefit, and environmental conservation, making certain that public lands where endangered and sensitive species live (even those places with huge amounts of sunshine) are not considered for solar development.
It’s becoming quite clear that animal lovers and clean tech enthusiasts don’t have to be at odds with each other on solar land usage.
Source: WWF
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that should be no surprise! even with current technology i can generate all the power i need from my own roof. no extra land needed.
that is with solar panels with a 15% efficiency (12 panels) and i even have spare roof. when technology will go to 30% (which is already in the labs) i will only need less than halve my roof (6 panels)!
and in 2050 we could be at levels of 60% or even more! then i will only have 3 panels left that will just be the edge off my roof!
Or you could feed your excess power back into the grid.
yep, the claims about solar needing a lot of land are absurd.
happy to have a report to feed to people making such claims now. 😀
How do you run your A/C at night?
With electricity….
Where does that electricity come from at night?
Other clean generation technologies. Wind, hydro, geothermal, tidal, biofuels.
Storage. Pump-up hydro, batteries, CAES.
He said all his power comes from his roof.
Is this an example of a proper discussion?
Nobody can run their air conditioner at night using solar. Therefore you need two overlapping sources of power.
he stores electricity in a battery. but it is generated from the solar panels.
i’m sure he stores the power he gets from the panels in a battery.