SYDNEY, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Smoke from major bushfires can reduce solar electricity generation by up to 70 percent within about 50 km of fire hotspots and by up to 30 percent more than 150 km away, an Australian study finds.
Researchers used historical weather and satellite data to model how smoke and airborne particles affected solar electricity generation and panel temperatures during two major Australian bushfires, according to a statement released Wednesday by Australia's University of New South Wales (UNSW).
"Extreme bushfires are becoming more frequent and intense in several regions, including Australia, California and southern Europe. Their impacts are not confined to the areas where fires burn," said Shukla Poddar, a UNSW postdoctoral researcher and corresponding author of the study published in the journal Solar Energy.
The researchers said smoke and airborne particles reduce the sunlight reaching solar panels, lowering electricity generation. During Australia's 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires, electricity generation fell by as much as 70 percent at locations within about 50 km of fire hotspots over several consecutive days. In regions more than 150 km away, electricity generation fell by up to 30 percent as winds carried smoke inland, the study found.
The estimated reductions in generated power during the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria were smaller, at around 18 percent near hotspots and up to 10 percent in more distant regions, it said.
The research recommended combining bushfire information, wind patterns and smoke-trajectory modelling to help predict which solar farms could be affected. That warning could allow operators to plan inspections, schedule cleaning or adjust the position of panels before smoke arrives. ■
