Temperature Effects
Solar PV facilities can cause changes in the air and surface temperature of the space in which they are located. The effect of solar PV facilities on surface and air temperatures is different. Solar panels shade the ground on which they are located, reducing the surface (ground) temperature from what it would be without solar panels present.[49] However, solar panels absorb solar radiation more effectively than do typical agricultural land surfaces due to their darker color, leading to an increase in air temperature directly above the solar panels as the absorbed radiation is released as heat. The decrease or increase for surface and air temperatures, respectively, is around 2-4 degrees Celsius (3.6-7.2 degrees Fahrenheit), depending on the type of land cover in the area[50],[51].
Temperature effects on land outside the solar facility are much smaller. One study found that an air temperature increase of 1.9 degrees Celsius directly over a solar farm dissipated to 0.5 degrees Celsius at 100 meters in horizontal distance from the solar farm, and less than a 0.3 degree increase at 300 meters.[52] Another study found that a temperature difference of 3-4 degrees Celsius directly above a solar farm was dissipated to the point that it could not be measured at a distance of 100 feet from the solar farm’s edge.[53] Meteorological factors can affect the range and size of any temperature effect on land nearby a solar facility, but even under very conducive circumstances the possible temperature increase for nearby land would be on the order of tenths of degrees. Studies have varied on the time at which temperature differences are most pronounced; one study noted as taking place in a desert landscape found that temperature differences were larger at night,[54] while another study found larger temperature differences during midday;[55] differences in weather and landscape between the study locations may be responsible for the different results.