Quantifying the impact of wildfire smoke on solar photovoltaic generation in Australia.

ABSTRACT: The 2019-20 Australian wildfires caused extreme haze events across New South Wales (NSW), which reduced photovoltaic (PV) power output. We analyze 30-min energy data from 160 geographically separated residential PV systems in NSW with a total capacity of 312 kW from 6 Nov 2019-15 Jan 2020. The observed mean power reduction rate for PV energy generation as a function of the fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentration is 13 ± 2% per 100 μg/m³ of PM_2.5. The resulting energy loss for residential and utility PV systems is estimated at 175 ± 35 GWh, equating to a worst-case financial loss of 19 ± 4 million USD. We found the relative impact to be most significant in the mornings and evenings, which may necessitate the installation of additional energy storage. A

SUBMITTER: Ford E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10845029 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature