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China has begun leaning on agrivoltaic projects to help tamp down dust storms in its vast deserts, halt the march of desertification, and restore vegetation — while generating clean electricity for local communities and industries, too. The strategy appears to be working. The latest news involves a new 2-gigawatt agrivoltaic installation in Inner Mongolia, due for completion later this year.
From Agrivoltaic Projects To Ecovoltaic Projects
A typical agrivoltaic project deploys solar panels and specialized racking systems strategically, to enable farming activity to continue on the land. Livestock grazing and pollinator habitats are becoming commonplace, and farmers are also introducing human food crops as well.
A hint about the potential for agrivoltaics to spread beyond farming has already emerged. Instead of further use of the land for farming, some solar arrays are designed as “ecovoltaic” projects, aimed at rebuilding soil health while restoring natural habitats and native plant species.
Transferring an ecovoltaic goal into a desert may seem like a stretch, but it depends on the desert. Back in 2016 CleanTechnica visited the Desertec solar array in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, for example, and it is difficult to imagine anything growing at the site without irrigation.
At minimum, though, a large solar array could help protect the surface from further erosion and reduce evaporation, helping to slow the pace of desertification and reduce the ferocity of dust storms.
The Solarization Of Deserts
Back in 2017, NASA took note of a startling large plan to develop the Kubuqi Desert of Inner Mongolia for solar energy. “The project, expected to be finished in 2030, will be 400 kilometers (250 miles) long, 5 kilometers (3 miles) wide, and achieve a maximum generating capacity of 100 gigawatts,” NASA observed.
“In addition to generating power, planners hope that the installation…may help curb desertification by preventing the movement of dunes and slowing winds. Also, the elevated panels create shade that slows evaporation and may make it easier to grow pasture grasses and other crops beneath them,” NASA added, referring to Landsat data for solar projects in other deserts in China.
The latest step in the solarization of China’s deserts is the new 2-gigawatt Suji Sandland PV project, located in Urad Front Banner, in Inner Mongolia.
“The project is part of the third phase of China’s large-scale wind and solar power base initiatives, aligned with global carbon neutrality targets and committed to ecological restoration in desert-prone regions,” explains the leading firm JA Solar, which is providing its DeepBlue 4.0 Pro modules to the project.
Here Comes A 2-Gigawatt Agrivoltaic Project
JA’s DeepBlue modules are already in use in the Kubuqi Desert and elsewhere, having been engineered for performance in desert conditions. If all goes according to plan, the Suji Sandland project will start spitting out clean kilowatts by the end of this year, to the tune of 2.96 billion kWh electricity annually.
“In addition to power generation, the project incorporates an innovative ‘PV + ecological restoration’ model, using under-module planting to help build a micro-ecosystem and combat desertification,” JA notes.
No word yet on what plants, but the developer behind the project is the diversified energy firm China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd., which describes itself as a “key state-owned company,” with 51 secondary units and 460+ tertiary enterprises, among others. China Huaneng has a firm footprint in the fossil energy field, but it has also established a PV research lab among its growing list of clean energy ventures, suggesting that it has ample resources to develop Suji Sandland as a global showpiece for the latest in agrivoltaicand ecovoltaic practices.
Meanwhile, Back In The USA
During the Obama administration, researchers at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory were among the first to recognize the significance of the agrivoltaic approach. Back in the early 2000’s, solar panels were expensive and developers preferred to cut costs by papering the land over with a low maintenance cover, such as gravel or low-growing clover. As the cost of the panels came down, developers had more room to experiment with different rack configurations and other strategies that enable more diverse and sustainable options for ground treatments.
The agrivoltaic approach has seen more rapid uptake elsewhere around the world than here in the US, but signs of acceleration are beginning to appear. Last month, for example, California celebrated the first agrivoltaic project to gain approval under a new fast-track application system. The 300-megawatt solar project will host flocks of sheep. In addition to adding nutrients to the soil, sheep grazing reduces the expense and carbon emissions involved in regular mowings. The developer also points out that, as vegetation managers, the sheep also help reduce wildfire risks.
In addition, earlier this year the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) launched a joint program to develop agrivoltaic industry standards. The new standards are aimed at stimulating investor interest by providing a reliable platform for weighing risks and opportunities.
The US Is Just Like China Now, Sans Renewable Energy
Speaking of clean energy investor risks and opportunities, last week Interior Secretary Doug Burgum dialed the risk factor up to 11 when he summarily issued a stop work order on Equinor’s Empire Wind offshore wind farm, located in federal waters off the coast of Long Island in New York.
The $5 billion project was already deep into construction and Equinor is currently mulling its options. Although the action was directed at a clean energy project, it has already lead some industry observers to wonder if any federal contract actually means what it says any more.
Oh the irony, it burns. There goes China, variously described as an authoritarian or totalitarian state, nevertheless leading the global energy transition with a gigawatt-scale agrivoltaic project under its belt. Meanwhile, for reasons best known only to itself, last November the US electorate opted to ditch the conventions of American democracy when they installed Donald J. Trump in the Oval Office. Since Inauguration Day, the Trump administration has been diligently implementing the totalitarian playbook, page by page, while pulling out all the stops to monkey-wrench domestic renewable energy industries, supply chains and all. So much for competing with China.
If the Republican majority in Congress finally decides to exercise its status as a co-equal branch of the US government, the American experiment with totalitarian government will be a thankfully brief one. If you have any thoughts about that, drop a note in the comment thread. Better yet, find your representatives in Congress and let them know what you think.
Photo (cropped): A gigantic 2-gigawatt agrivoltaic project in China will generate clean power while restoring vegetation in a desert (courtesy of JA Solar via LinkedIn).
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