Location or insolation: the importance of siting in emissions mitigation from solar photovoltaics

Achieving environmental benefits is often a primary motivation for integrating renewable energy into the grid. The magnitude of generation from a solar power project is influenced by the solar resource quality, but locations with high insolation do not necessarily yield the greatest emission reduction benefits. This study simulates the power system response to 10 identical solar projects in different regions across the United States, selected to represent a wide range of solar resource quality and power grid configurations. The power grid mix is often a key determinant in offsetting CO 2 , SO 2 , and NO x emissions, illustrating how lower‐quality solar resources can be more effective than sunnier sites at emissions mitigation when one considers characteristics of the power grid. The analysis shows a strong relationship between emissions mitigation and the share of offset generation that is coal‐fired. The strongest correlation is shown for CO 2 ; the presence or absence of emissions control equipment and the sulfur content of the coal complicates the relationship of SO 2 and NO x . The emissions intensity of offset generation is insensitive to whether the solar project is fixed tilt or single‐axis tracking. When seeking to mitigate power sector emissions, the impacts of solar design considerations on the temporal profile of generation are less important than the overall amount of generation and the location of interconnection. Public policies that target only the magnitude of generation from renewables (e.g., many Renewable Portfolio Standards) or the installed cost (e.g., the Investment Tax Credit) will likely lead to suboptimal emissions mitigation. WIREs Energy Environ 2017, 6:e249. doi: 10.1002/wene.249 This article is categorized under: Photovoltaics > Climate and Environment Energy and Development > Systems and Infrastructure