Research Progress on the Impact of Wind Farms and Photovoltaic Power Plants on Local Climate

[Objective] With the large-scale development and utilization of wind and solar energy resources, the impact of the construction and operation of wind farms and photovoltaic power plants on local climate has received widespread attention. The paper focuses on summarizing the research progress on the impact of wind farms and photovoltaic power plants on local climate, providing support for their scientific and reasonable planning and layout, as well as the sustainable development of wind and solar energy. [Method] The paper reviewed existing research results in this field and summarized the research methods, impact mechanisms, research processes and achievements on local climate effects of wind farms and photovoltaic power plants. [Result] Wind turbines operation causes local climate change as a momentum sink and turbulence source, which reduces the wind speed in the downwind direction on the one hand, and affects the exchange of energy and matter between land and air by changing the turbulent motion of the boundary layer on the other hand. Furthermore, the momentum, wind speed, sensible and latent heat fluxes in the near surface layer are changed directly and precipitation and cloud cover are changed indirectly. The construction of photovoltaic power plants has significantly changed the characteristics of the land surface and led to changes in the energy budget and distribution between land and air, the environmental temperature cooling effect and the heating effect exist simultaneously, which in turn produces feedback on the local climate system. The environmental temperature cooling effect is caused by physical obstruction, surface evaporation reducing and conversion of radiation energy into electrical energy. The heating effect is caused by the heat release of photovoltaic modules during the photoelectric conversion process and the weakening of nighttime radiation cooling on the surface. The integrated operation of wind and photovoltaic power may form a positive feedback mechanism of increased surface roughness/reduced albedo - increased precipitation - increased vegetation, leads to increased local climate change. [Conclusion] In the context of building a new power system with new energy as the main body, the construction of large-scale wind and photovoltaic bases with a focus on deserts, gobi and wasteland areas has become a top priority for the development of new energy in the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The research on its impact on the climate and environment needs to be continuously carried out.