Photovoltaic + Photosynthetic Coexistence: Towards a Sensible Accelerated Mass Integration of PV Onto a Perturbed Planet

Abstract

The urgent massive-scale deployment (perhaps a 50-fold increase in the current installed amount by 2050) of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy onto the myriad of landscapes on Earth is confronted by considerable ecological, economic, and social/ cultural/ aesthetic challenges.  To begin, a comparison of PV with other “anthropocene photon transformation operations” (primarily agriculture and forestry) is accompanied by observations on the reasons for the solar industry’s recent rapid rise and expected continued exponential growth.  The report then demonstrates challenges and best-case integration options for high-density PV installations in urban areas, and lower-density ecovoltaics and agrivoltaics on rangeland and farmland. Close attention is given to the spacing between and under PV arrays.  Critiques on, and proposals for accurate nomenclature to describe a variety of non-standard solar PV installations are offered. The blurry line between agriculture and nature on rangelands is recognized, as proposals for lowest-impact PV integration are offered.  The challenges of rural PV integration on landscapes as diverse as forests, savannas, and deserts are detailed, with consideration of competing existing or potential deployment of trees and biofuel plantations.  Paradigm-shifting reconsiderations of culture and aesthetics on rural landscapes, and the evolving roles of farmers, are explored. Finally, it is argued that to achieve meaningful levels of synergistic PV integration, historical support from public and educational sectors will be essential.