The scale of land used for solar energy storage power station

What happened to utility-scale PV power and energy density?

The last major study of utility-scale PVs power and energy density in the United States (from Ong et al. ) is now almost a decade out of date, yet is still routinely cited on matters pertaining to land requirements and land use—despite the rapid evolution of the industry in the years since its publication.

How much energy does a utility-scale solar power plant need?

Research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows that the entire U.S. could be powered by utility-scale solar occupying just 0.6% of the nation’s land mass. A utility-scale solar power plant may require between 5 and 7 acres per megawatt (MW) of generating capacity.

Do utility-scale ground-mounted solar plants use land?

Subject This report covers data and analysis of the land use associated with utility-scale ground-mounted solar facilities, defined as installations greater than 1 MW. We begin by discussing standard land-use metrics as established in the life-cycle assessment literature and then discuss their applicability to solar power plants.

How much land do solar power plants use?

For direct land-use requirements, the capacity-weighted average is 7.3 acre/MWac, with 40% of power plants within 6 and 8 acres/MWac. Other published estimates of solar direct land use generally fall within these ranges.