Seasonal variations of the impact of urban aerosol pollution on distributed solar photovoltaic generation of nine megacities in China

Abstract

Distributed solar photovoltaic (DSPV) generation is the most important component of renewable energy in cities. Due to the severe aerosol pollution, solar energy resources in central and eastern China have been lower than theoretical values for decades, resulting in lower efficiency of DSPV generation. The current DSPV design standards for building surfaces implemented in China are based on surface solar radiation data over the past three decades, which can no longer accurately reflect the current radiation intensity. In this study, multivariate regression analysis was conducted, and it was found that the solar radiation reduction by aerosol in nine megacities in China in winter was 0.3-0.4 kWh/m2/day. Due to the rapid decline of aerosol concentration since 2013, the average annual radiation value was 7.0%~21.8% higher than the standard value. The annual loss of DSPV generation caused by aerosol pollution may be as high as (7.4 ~ 13.5) ·109 kWh in China. Low-level design criteria will lead to excessive design redundancy, the reduced utilization rate of DSPV and higher construction cost of buildings. The research results will provide data reference and theoretical support for the evaluation of energy loss from aerosol pollution and the revision of related building codes.