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Title: Microenvironmental changes and plant responses due to shading and wind deflectio by solar collectors: a simulation study

Abstract

The potential microenvironmental changes at the ground surface beneath arrays of solar mirrors or collectors were investigated in a Sonoran Desert ecosystem, utilizing a simulated array of plywood panels. The simulated array consisted of twelve panels designed to exhibit a similar shape, tilt, and spacing as is expected to occur in heliostat fields of solar thermal facilities or in arrays of photovoltaic collectors. The experimental design in the study was based on comparing two microsites in the simulated array versus the open desert. Presence of the panels results in up to a 90% reduction in solar radiance during the midday period, with microsites beneath each panel receiving about 14% of the open desert irradiance over the whole day. The array of panels also effected a 14% to 60% reduction in monthly accumulated wind flow in the center of the array. The combination of reduced radiant energy input and wind deflection resulted in significantly reduced surface and soil temperatures in the heavily shaded sites, and moderately reduced surface and soil temperatures in the sunny microsites. Plant responses to a cooler, moister environment were: (1) higher diversity and survival of winter spring annuals; (2) proliferation of C/sub 3/ annuals in the summermore » flora versus the more typical C/sub 4/ annuals in the open; (3) greater new shoot production of shrubs; (4) greater gross photosynthesis and stomatal conductance of the two shrub species in the warm dry season, but not in the cool wet season; (5) increased leaf retention and reduction in the typical leaf polymorphic character into the dry season of the drought deciduous Ambrosia deltoidea; and, (6) invasion of the heavily shaded areas of the array by a pseudo-riparian species, Baccharis sarothroides. (WHK)« less

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
California Univ., Los Angeles (USA). Lab. of Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Biology
OSTI Identifier:
6774912
Report Number(s):
UCLA-12/1268
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-76SF00012
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; SOLAR COLLECTORS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; DESERTS; HELIOSTATS; MOISTURE; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; PLANTS; SHADING; SOIL CHEMISTRY; SOILS; SOLAR CELL ARRAYS; TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; WIND; ARID LANDS; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; CHEMISTRY; ECOSYSTEMS; EQUIPMENT; PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS; POWER PLANTS; SIMULATION; SOLAR EQUIPMENT; SOLAR POWER PLANTS; SYNTHESIS; THERMAL POWER PLANTS; 140400* - Solar Energy- Environmental Aspects; 140700 - Solar Thermal Power Systems; 510302 - Environment, Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987); 510100 - Environment, Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (-1989)

Citation Formats

Patten, D. T., and Smith, S. D. Microenvironmental changes and plant responses due to shading and wind deflectio by solar collectors: a simulation study. United States: N. p., 1980. Web. doi:10.2172/6774912.
Patten, D. T., & Smith, S. D. Microenvironmental changes and plant responses due to shading and wind deflectio by solar collectors: a simulation study. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6774912
Patten, D. T., and Smith, S. D. 1980. "Microenvironmental changes and plant responses due to shading and wind deflectio by solar collectors: a simulation study". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6774912. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6774912.
@article{osti_6774912,
title = {Microenvironmental changes and plant responses due to shading and wind deflectio by solar collectors: a simulation study},
author = {Patten, D. T. and Smith, S. D.},
abstractNote = {The potential microenvironmental changes at the ground surface beneath arrays of solar mirrors or collectors were investigated in a Sonoran Desert ecosystem, utilizing a simulated array of plywood panels. The simulated array consisted of twelve panels designed to exhibit a similar shape, tilt, and spacing as is expected to occur in heliostat fields of solar thermal facilities or in arrays of photovoltaic collectors. The experimental design in the study was based on comparing two microsites in the simulated array versus the open desert. Presence of the panels results in up to a 90% reduction in solar radiance during the midday period, with microsites beneath each panel receiving about 14% of the open desert irradiance over the whole day. The array of panels also effected a 14% to 60% reduction in monthly accumulated wind flow in the center of the array. The combination of reduced radiant energy input and wind deflection resulted in significantly reduced surface and soil temperatures in the heavily shaded sites, and moderately reduced surface and soil temperatures in the sunny microsites. Plant responses to a cooler, moister environment were: (1) higher diversity and survival of winter spring annuals; (2) proliferation of C/sub 3/ annuals in the summer flora versus the more typical C/sub 4/ annuals in the open; (3) greater new shoot production of shrubs; (4) greater gross photosynthesis and stomatal conductance of the two shrub species in the warm dry season, but not in the cool wet season; (5) increased leaf retention and reduction in the typical leaf polymorphic character into the dry season of the drought deciduous Ambrosia deltoidea; and, (6) invasion of the heavily shaded areas of the array by a pseudo-riparian species, Baccharis sarothroides. (WHK)},
doi = {10.2172/6774912},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6774912}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1980},
month = {Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1980}
}