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Analyzing land characteristics associated with historical large-scale solar photovoltaic deployment in the united states

2026-07-15 · Environmental Research Letters

One-line summary

A solar energy research paper on Analyzing land characteristics associated with historical large-scale solar photovoltaic deployment in the united states.

Engineering notes

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Chinese explanation / 中文解读

中文解读待补充:本站会优先为光伏效率、钙钛矿太阳能电池、储能技术、太阳能热利用、BIPV、并网技术等高价值论文补充中文说明。

Original abstract

Abstract Large-scale solar (LSS) deployment has accelerated rapidly across the United States, yet comprehensive understanding of its siting patterns remains limited. Here, we present a national-scale geospatial assessment of land characteristics converted for LSS development and apply statistical analyses to evaluate whether installations are disproportionately concentrated within specific land types. We find that siting patterns are strongly correlated with high solar irradiance, underscoring the role of resource quality in shaping deployment decisions. LSS projects are disproportionately concentrated on agricultural lands and shrubland. Within agricultural areas, installations predominantly occur on croplands and are strongly associated with irrigated systems. Notably, more than 90% of projects are deployed on agricultural land with Productive, Versatile, and Resilient (PVR) index values of land quality exceeding the national median. These findings highlight the need for strategic siting frameworks that reconcile solar development with the conservation of agriculturally valuable land.

5.0Engineering value
7.0Research novelty
4.0Business relevance

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