At a Glance
- China has some of the worst air pollution in the world.
- Pollution cuts the amount of electricity China's solar panels can generate by 11% to 15%.
- The country has more solar energy capacity than any other nation.
- The economic benefits of boosting that capacity could top $6 billion by 2030.
Air pollution in China has gotten so bad, the sun can't reach solar panels that were installed to help reduce smog in the first place, according to a new study.
Generation of solar power in China has fallen 11% to 15% because of air pollution blocking the sun’s rays, according to the study published last week in Nature Energy.
"China is the world’s largest market for solar energy now, and China will play a crucial role in the global shift to clean energy, which we need to prevent catastrophic climate change," Stefan Pfenninger, a senior researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich and co-author of the study, told the South China Morning Post.
(MORE: U.S. Cities With the Worst Air Pollution)
China has some of the worst air pollution in the world, much of it because of the widespread use of coal. According to Greenpeace, coal accounted for more than 60% of China's energy consumption in 2017. Concentrations of deadly fine particulates in the Beijing's air in 2017 were six times higher than World Health Organization air-quality guidelines, the organization said.
Since 2013, China has had a campaign to clean up the country's air. In March, the Morning Post reported, Li Ganjie, China's minister of ecology and environment, said air quality has improved, but the "remaining parts are very challenging. The situation is grim and there is a long way to go."
(MORE: Air Pollution Is Deadliest Threat to Human Health, Researchers Say)
As part of its environmental policy, China has increasingly turned to clean energy alternatives, including solar. The country has more solar energy capacity than any other nation. China’s cumulative solar capacity is 174.63 gigawatts, according to CleanTechnica. By comparison, the United States has 67 gigawatts of total installed solar capacity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
The new study was conducted by researchers from Switzerland, the Netherlands and China using nearly 60 years' worth of data compiled by researchers at China’s National Meteorological Information Center.
It found that if China could get its air quality back to the levels it had in the 1960s, the country could generate 12% to 13% more solar electricity. The corresponding economic benefits could amount to $1.9 billion in 2016 and $4.6 billion to $6.7 billion in 2030.
Bart Sweerts, an energy researcher at the Swiss technology institute and the study's lead author, told CNET, "China is already achieving a lot in terms of air pollution control. The main drivers for this are the severe health effects of strong air pollution. However, China still has a long way to go – and a lot to win."
