latent energy

Is climate change exacerbated by photovoltaic systems?

Is climate change exacerbated by photovoltaic systems?

Somewhat provocative question: however, if the statement is (somewhat) true:

“Regardless of how many greenhouse gas molecules are in the air, what determines the greenhouse gas effect is the amount of reradiation emanating from the earth.”

then we should think about the effect of warming from PV systems. In my talks, people often ask about the effect of PV systems – and they do, in fact, have the same effect as open ground or asphalt. They heat up (summer and winter; see picture above; source [1]) and thus radiate significantly increased long-wave radiation back into the atmosphere. This is the part that increases the greenhouse gas effect. Vegetation would normally convert most of the incident solar energy into latent energy, thus cooling the environment and bringing energy from the layers near the ground into the higher atmosphere, where a part can diffuse into space upon condensation. Completely different conversion of solar energy and corresponding consequences.

[1] https://www.energiedetektiv.com/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/PDF/Klimawandel_durch_Klimaschutz_E.pdf

Posted by Stefan in Allgemein, 0 comments