Ravikumar Dwarakanath, Sinha Parikhit
a Department of Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering , Arizona State University , Tempe , AZ , USA.
b Global Sustainability , First Solar , Tempe , AZ , USA.
J Air Waste Manag Assoc. 2017 Oct;67(10):1126-1136. doi: 10.1080/10962247.2017.1343210.
With utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) projects increasingly developed in dry and dust-prone geographies with high solar insolation, there is a critical need to analyze the impacts of PV installations on the resulting particulate matter (PM) concentrations, which have environmental and health impacts. This study is the first to quantify the impact of a utility-scale PV plant on PM concentrations downwind of the project site. Background, construction, and post-construction PM and PM (PM with aerodynamic diameters <2.5 and <10 μm, respectively) concentration data were collected from four beta attenuation monitor (BAM) stations over 3 yr. Based on these data, the authors evaluate the hypothesis that PM emissions from land occupied by a utility-scale PV installation are reduced after project construction through a wind-shielding effect. The results show that the (1) confidence intervals of the mean PM concentrations during construction overlap with or are lower than background concentrations for three of the four BAM stations; and (2) post-construction PM and PM concentrations downwind of the PV installation are significantly lower than the background concentrations at three of the four BAM stations. At the fourth BAM station, downwind post-construction PM and PM concentrations increased marginally by 5.7% and 2.6% of the 24-hr ambient air quality standards defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, respectively, when compared with background concentrations, with the PM increase being statistically insignificant. This increase may be due to vehicular emissions from an access road near the southwest corner of the site or a drainage berm near the south station. The findings demonstrate the overall environmental benefit of downwind PM emission abatement from a utility-scale PV installation in desert conditions due to wind shielding. With PM emission reductions observed within 10 months of completion of construction, post-construction monitoring of downwind PM levels may be reduced to a 1-yr period for other projects with similar soil and weather conditions.
This study is the first to analyze impact of a utility photovoltaic (PV) project on downwind particulate matter (PM) concentration in desert conditions. The PM data were collected at four beta attenuation monitor stations over a 3-yr period. The post-construction PM concentrations are lower than background concentrations at three of four stations, therefore supporting the hypothesis of post-construction wind shielding from PV installations. With PM emission reductions observed within 10 months of completion of construction, postconstruction monitoring of downwind PM levels may be reduced to a 1-yr period for other PV projects with similar soil and weather conditions.
随着公用事业规模的光伏（PV）项目越来越多地在日照充足、干旱且多尘的地区开发，迫切需要分析光伏装置对由此产生的颗粒物（PM）浓度的影响，因为这会对环境和健康产生影响。本研究首次量化了公用事业规模的光伏电站对项目场地顺风方向PM浓度的影响。在3年时间里，从四个β衰减监测站收集了背景、建设和建设后PM以及PM（分别为空气动力学直径<2.5和<10μm的PM）浓度数据。基于这些数据，作者评估了以下假设：公用事业规模的光伏装置所占用土地的PM排放在项目建设后通过挡风效应而减少。结果表明：（1）四个BAM站中有三个站在建设期间平均PM浓度的置信区间与背景浓度重叠或低于背景浓度；（2）光伏装置顺风方向建设后的PM和PM浓度在四个BAM站中有三个站显著低于背景浓度。在第四个BAM站，与背景浓度相比，建设后顺风方向的PM和PM浓度分别略微增加了美国环境保护局定义的24小时环境空气质量标准的5.7%和2.6%，其中PM的增加在统计上不显著。这种增加可能是由于场地西南角附近的一条进场道路或南站附近的排水护堤的车辆排放。研究结果表明，在沙漠条件下，由于挡风作用，公用事业规模的光伏装置在顺风方向减少PM排放具有总体环境效益。由于在建设完成后的10个月内观察到PM排放减少，对于其他具有类似土壤和天气条件的项目，建设后对顺风方向PM水平的监测期可缩短至1年。
本研究首次分析了公用事业规模的光伏（PV）项目对沙漠条件下顺风方向颗粒物（PM）浓度的影响。在3年时间里，在四个β衰减监测站收集了PM数据。四个站中有三个站建设后的PM浓度低于背景浓度,因此支持了光伏装置建设后产生挡风作用的假设。由于在建设完成后的10个月内观察到PM排放减少，对于其他具有类似土壤和天气条件的光伏项目，建设后对顺风方向PM水平的监测期可缩短至1年。
