Regional climate effects of photovoltaic power plant in desert revealed by high-resolution numerical simulation

Abstract

The rapid expansion of large-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plants in arid regions is an important strategy toward global carbon neutrality. Beyond cutting CO 2 emissions, extensive PV coverage also fundamentally alters land surface properties and induces feedback to regional climate. However, the climate responses to different deployment scales remain elusive for desert environments. To address this gap, this study investigates the seasonal, model-based regional climate responses to PV deployment in the Kubuqi Desert using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with a PV parameterization scheme. Four scenarios were simulated under selected meteorological conditions, including a baseline without PV, the current actual deployment, and two future projections based on energy policies. We assess the impacts of PV deployment on temperature, wind speed, atmospheric moisture, and surface energy balance. The results reveal a scale-dependent photovoltaic heat island effect. As the deployment scale expands, a distinct daytime heat island effect intensifies due to reduced albedo and enhanced sensible heat flux, with the 2 m air temperature increasing by up to 0.63 ° C in the extreme scenario. The nighttime temperature exhibits warming (+0.31 ° C) in winter, in contrast to slight cooling in summer. Additionally, the simulations estimate that PV arrays reduce the 10 m wind speed by up to about 1.0 m ⋅ s − 1 on average. These findings clarify the coupling mechanisms between thermodynamic and aerodynamic changes, providing theoretical foundation for the climate-adaptive planning of large-scale solar bases to ensure ecological sustainability.