How Coal Pollution Dims Solar Power Output
▼ Summary
– Coal is the most polluting fuel, producing high carbon emissions, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and toxic coal ash.
– A new study finds coal-derived aerosols reduce solar panel power output by interfering with sunlight.
– Researchers used satellite imagery and weather data to estimate solar power losses from clouds and aerosols.
– In 2023, over 25% of potential solar power was lost, with aerosols causing about 6% of that loss.
– Aerosols from coal burning cost solar facilities an average of 75 terawatt-hours per year in lost power.
Coal remains the dirtiest fuel in widespread use, generating the highest carbon emissions per unit of energy while also releasing large quantities of sulfur dioxide aerosols, nitrous oxides, and nitrogen oxides. Beyond the airborne pollutants, the leftover coal ash often contains toxic heavy metals. The economic case for replacing coal with cleaner alternatives is already strong, with health benefits typically exceeding the cost of new equipment. But a new study reveals that coal’s damage extends beyond human health: it actively reduces the output of other power sources.
Researchers have discovered that aerosols, both natural and human-made, significantly cut into the electricity we could harvest from solar panels. The losses amount to hundreds of terawatt-hours per year, and a substantial share of those aerosols come directly from burning coal.
The study, conducted by a team in the UK, relied on a newly compiled global inventory of solar facilities. The researchers began with known facility records, then used AI-analyzed satellite imagery and crowdsourced location data to fill in gaps. Satellite images helped determine the size of each installation, while location-specific weather data enabled estimates of actual power production.
From there, the team modeled what those same facilities would generate if clouds and aerosols were not scattering incoming sunlight. The results were striking. In 2023, over a quarter of potential solar power output was lost. More than 20 percent of that loss was due to clouds, while aerosols accounted for another 6 percent. In absolute terms, that works out to roughly 500 terawatt-hours of lost electricity, equivalent to the full annual output of 84 coal plants, each with a 1 GW generating capacity.
Aerosols alone are a major culprit. The researchers note that over the five years leading up to 2023, the world added enough solar capacity to produce an average of 250 TW-hr of additional power annually. Yet each year, 75 TW-hr of that potential was erased by aerosols. (Total solar production still rose because existing capacity increased year after year, but the losses represent a significant drag on the clean energy transition.)
(Source: Ars Technica)
