Land Use for Photovoltaic Solar Electric System Siting Rating Metrics

Abstract

Since solar electric power is becoming increasingly popular throughout the United States, there is some concern that this growth can have negative environmental effects associated with the siting of solar modules and land use. Five different locations for siting photovoltaic (PV) systems were evaluated including open lands, brownfields and mine tailings, rooftops and carports, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), and transportation corridors. A ranking system was created to determine which locations are the best for PV systems. The ranking system examined and compared four important metrics including environmental impacts, technological barriers, cost, and social implications. Based on the results of the rating system, rooftops and carports received the highest ranking with a total score of 11 points, BIPV received the second highest score with a total of 10 points, open lands received 9 points, and brownfields and mine tailings and transportation corridors both received a final score of 8 points each.