The burning of fossil fuels for energy is still the world’s primary source of CO2 emissions. As a result, solar technology has become a primary candidate in the era of finding new ways to create emission free energy. Solar power harnesses the energy of the sun’s rays to generate electricity that is considered environmentally friendly, or “green,” due to the almost nonexistent emission of CO2 throughout the process. The electricity produced by solar farms can then be added to the grid and distributed to consumers. Using renewable resources such as solar power to create electricity provides an alternative and helps decrease our need for fossil fuels. Despite the seemingly positive outcomes of using solar power, the negative outcomes may be far
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While small scale use of solar panels (such as placing them on residential homes) does not take up much land, utility scale commercial solar farms do require a large amount of land. Total land area requirement varies depending on the technology and intensity of solar resources, photovoltaic systems range from 3.5-10 acres per megawatt while concentrated solar power facilities require 4-16.5 acres per megawatt. This large land requirement and the inability to place solar facilities on shared land with agriculture, as is possible with wind facilities, results in development of renewable energy facilities in large areas of public land in the Southwest United States. Using large areas of arid desert land for solar facility location can affect the native wildlife and vegetation and affect the already limited rainfall and drainage of the region. It is evident that the siting of solar facilities negatively affects areas of critical environmental concern and special recreation management areas. The potential for utility-scale solar energy development and operation in the American Southwest is additionally risky due to the high biodiversity and sensitivity of the arid ecosystems such as the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. These ecosystems are already stressed by climactic changes and human interaction. The deserts of the Southwest are identified hotspots for threatened and endangered species. Large areas of desert tortoise habitat are developed or evaluated for solar power facilities. The desert tortise is just one example of the many species that are put in danger through further development of these geographical regions. Insects and animals can also die if they fly over an area containing a concentrated beam of sunlight that is typical for solar thermal power
While small scale use of solar panels (such as placing them on residential homes) does not take up much land, utility scale commercial solar farms do require a large amount of land. Total land area requirement varies depending on the technology and intensity of solar resources, photovoltaic systems range from 3.5-10 acres per megawatt while concentrated solar power facilities require 4-16.5 acres per megawatt. This large land requirement and the inability to place solar facilities on shared land with agriculture, as is possible with wind facilities, results in development of renewable energy facilities in large areas of public land in the Southwest United States. Using large areas of arid desert land for solar facility location can affect the native wildlife and vegetation and affect the already limited rainfall and drainage of the region. It is evident that the siting of solar facilities negatively affects areas of critical environmental concern and special recreation management areas. The potential for utility-scale solar energy development and operation in the American Southwest is additionally risky due to the high biodiversity and sensitivity of the arid ecosystems such as the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. These ecosystems are already stressed by climactic changes and human interaction. The deserts of the Southwest are identified hotspots for threatened and endangered species. Large areas of desert tortoise habitat are developed or evaluated for solar power facilities. The desert tortise is just one example of the many species that are put in danger through further development of these geographical regions. Insects and animals can also die if they fly over an area containing a concentrated beam of sunlight that is typical for solar thermal power