2026-10-07T23:02:41Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33917017 2026-09-18T03:14:17Z category_26947 category_26557 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Aerosol-induced POAI loss and solar panel distribution in China (2001–2023) Pengxin Wu (25068070) Yan Li (11729464) Natural resource management Air pollution modelling and control Photovoltaic potential Plane-of-array irradiance Aerosol optical depth (AOD) Solar panel distribution air pollution mitigation <p dir="ltr">Aerosols reduce the solar resource available for photovoltaic (PV) power generation, particularly in countries such as China, where high aerosol loading coincides with rapidly expanding PV deployment. Using satellite-derived irradiance and aerosol data, we quantify the impacts of aerosols on PV potential in China from 2001 to 2023 and investigate how solar panel deployment interacts with these impacts. On average, aerosols reduced national mean plane-of-array irradiance (POAI) by 10.6% (474.5 Wh m⁻² day⁻¹), with losses reaching 19% in the East and Central China grids. Sulfate was the dominant contributor to POAI loss across most of China, whereas dust dominated in northwestern China. Temporally, a turning point occurred around 2007, separating an initial increase in POAI loss from a subsequent decrease driven by air pollution control policies. However, the eastward expansion of solar panels into more aerosol-affected regions after 2013 increased the aerosol exposure of installed panels, exacerbating POAI loss by 107.8 Wh m⁻² day⁻¹, exceeding the reduction associated with declining emissions (-86.1 Wh m⁻² day⁻¹) by 25%. These findings suggest that the benefits of aerosol emission reductions on PV potential could be either enhanced or counteracted, depending on whether future PV deployment shifts toward lower- or higher-aerosol regions. Joint consideration of aerosol and solar panel dynamics can help achieve the dual benefits of cleaner air and greater PV potential.</p> 2026-09-18T03:14:17Z Dataset Dataset 10.6084/m9.figshare.33917017.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Aerosol-induced_POAI_loss_and_solar_panel_distribution_in_China_2001_2023_/33917017 CC BY 4.0