Lesson 10 - Ecosystems Impact from Solar Land Use
10.0 Overview
Overview
This is our last lesson of three that are tied to the broader impacts of solar design. In Lessons 8, 9, and 10 we have been addressing the Goal of Solar Design by helping the client to manage risk in the given locale. This lesson deals with risk in terms of uncertainties that are encompassed in the long-term time horizon of projects as they have societal and environmental impacts.
Sustainability plays a major role in focusing our views of solar energy deployment and managing long-term risks (generational time scales). This lesson tries to encompass those broader impacts of developing a renewable energy project and addresses the motivation for sustainability system thinking in project design. We frame this lesson in terms of sustainability ethics and ecosystems services, and we will develop our activities this lesson around discussions and essays. You will be using the answers from your Learning Activity to inform the broader impacts section of your final projects.
We are often reminded of how energy technologies, when deployed on a large scale (natural gas, oil production, coal combustion, etc), will have significant environmental impacts that are disruptive to the global, regional, and local ecosystems. I want you each to consider how large-scale solar energy deployment can also induce ecosystem change and reduction in ecosystems services, which must be avoided in future project development. This lesson will build upon the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment [1] that was called for in 2000 by the United Nations.
10.1 Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- describe how sustainability ethics can be included into project design as a motivating factor for Solar Project Development;
- apply the four classes of benefits that are supplied by ecosystems: ecosystems services;
- apply the concept of ecosystems services to renewable energy projects in rural and urban scenarios; and
- become familiar with the context of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment [1]
What is due for Lesson 10?
This lesson will take us one week to complete. Please refer to the Course Syllabus for specific time frames and due dates. Specific directions for the assignment below can be found within this lesson.
| Required Reading: |
J.R. Brownson, Solar Energy Conversion Systems (SECS), Chapter 1 - Introduction (Reread, with renewed focus on The Ethics of Sustainability and Ecosystems Services.) Geoffrey Carr (Nov 21, 2012) "Sunny Uplands [2]" The Economist. |
|---|---|
| Optional Reading (not required): |
"Ecosystems and Human Well-being: General Synthesis" (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment site page [6]) (155 pg. report [7]) Ong et al. (2013) "Land-Use Requirements for Solar Power Plants in the United States [8]" [13] NREL Technical Report: NREL/TP-6A20-56290. (supplemental reading) |
| To Do: |
Discussion: Ultra-Mega Solar Activity: Sustainability and Ecosystems Services Pitch (video) Engage in all Try-This and Self-check activities (not graded) |
| Topic(s): | Energy constraint, value of solar energy, historical cases of developing solar energy |
Questions?
If you have any questions, please post them to the Lesson 10 General Questions and Comments Discussion Forum. I will check the forum regularly to respond. While you are in a discussion, feel free to post your own responses if you, too, are able to help out a classmate.
10.2 Exponential Growth of Solar and Impact
Reading Assignment
- Geoffrey Carr (Nov 21, 2012) "Sunny Uplands" The Economist [2]. (Yes, it still holds true years later...)
- Doubling Time [3] (Wikipedia article, accessed on Nov. 14, 2013)
Please read about the rate of growth of PV (it's been quite high for decades), tied to the "learning curve" of PV costs from a doubling in cumulative production capacity. There is a positive feedback loop occurring here, and it suggests that PV (and other solar) will become very, very big globally within the next decade.
Growth in Solar
From our reading, we have seen the:
- Growth Rate: 32-37% increase in PV installed globally:
- PV industry as installed capacity (in Wp) doubles about every 2 years (or less in recent years).
- Compare this to the (still large) rate of growth of wind capacity from 2006-2016: 17-18%.
- Swanson Effect: 17-24% drop in manufacturing costs (called a learning curve or an experience curve) with each doubling of cumulative production (learning curve):
- Installed capacity is different from the time for cumulative production to double (2-3 years), but it is similar.
- \$76.67/watt in 1977 to \$0.74/watt for 2013.
- Growth rate combined with the learning curve is a positive feedback loop in systems thinking. Meaning: "more solar" will lead to "a lot more solar!";
- With every doubling, the awareness of other solar technologies increases. e.g.:
- CSP from Ivanpah Solar Power [9]
- Solar thermal processing in Austria (brewery) [10]
- Solar seasonal home heating in Drake's Landing [11], Alberta, Canada; and
- Even the building industry shares a solar history through passive solar architecture [12].
Self-check questions:
1. Using the "rule of 70," what is the estimated doubling time for something growing at a geometric rate of 35%?
Click for answer.
2. What is a "learning curve"?
Click for answer.
10.3. Scale of Solar and Ecosystem Services
Reading Assignment
- B. I. Cook, R. L. Miller, and R. Seager (2009) "Amplification of the North American "Dust Bowl" drought through human-induced land degradation." [4] Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. 106(13), 4997-5001.
- Ong et al. (2013) "Land-Use Requirements for Solar Power Plants in the United States" [13] NREL Technical Report: NREL/TP-6A20-56290. (supplemental reading)
Now we are going to tie our focus on scale to ecological impact. This reading is complementary to the concept of solar energy. Consider that large scale solar is called a "solar farm" or community scale solar can be termed "solar gardens." Large scale farming leads to large scale land use changes, and may undermine environmental resilience and existing ecosystems services.
Scale of Solar: Now and in the Future
We keep hearing about exponential growth of the solar industry, and larger and larger SECS projects are being rolled out each year. Solar consumes a lot of land, so here we especially focus on the impacts that come with major land use changes. Consider how the land use of these solar projects is linked to the observed ecological disruptions.
Gujarat Solar Park [14] in Gujarat, India:
- Only began installing in 2011, and nearly 1,100 MWp of PV completed as of 2016.
- Chankara Solar Park [15] consumes the largest area: 4,900 acres (19.8 km2 or 7.7 mi2); eventually host 500 MW of PV (an average of 9 acres per MW installed, or 25 MW for every 1 km2).
- This is very, very fast development of power.
- Neighboring state of Rajasthan, India is planning for 4000 MWp of solar power in the near future.
Ivanpah Solar Power Facility [9]:
- CSP power tower systems installed in California/Nevada border of the Mojave desert.
- Unit 1 of 3 was connected in September of 2013.
- Three solar thermal power stations will consume 4,000 acres (16 km2 or 6.25 mi2) to host 392 MW of power (an average of 24.5 MW per km2).
- The process was relatively rapid (over the course of 3-5 years), but the CSP plants take longer to install than PV (however, PV does not have evening power storage).
- Disturbance of the land in the northeastern Mojave Desert (the Ivanpah Valley) was significant to a threatened species of desert tortoise. This lead to a relocation of tortoises [16] by the developer, BrightSource Energy, Inc.
- The Solar Energy Industries Association describes the Department of the Interior's process associated with the large land permitting process [17].
These very large solar projects (4,000-5,000 acre scale), started around 2012, are now considered "medium scale”, given the doubling time of PV capacity. There are now Gigawatt scale solar farms in development, with one near Tibet at Longyangxia Dam Solar Park at 850 MW scale (see satellite images from NASA [18]). So the expected ecological impacts will be even more dramatic and may result in not only local, but regional and global consequences.
Furthermore, the direct land use impacts (such as clearing or changing the land for solar installation) is only a trigger for a larger scale land impact. The Dust Bowl [19] of the USA in the 1930s was initiated by the land use changes of only about 1000 acres in marginal lands, but eventually affected 100 million acres (400 thousand km2). System causal connection and feedbacks within natural ecosystems propagate the initial disturbance to a greater territory and over a greater period of time.
Recognizing the challenge of cultivating marginal arid land, the United States government expanded on the 160 acres offered under the Homestead Act—granting 640 acres to homesteaders in western Nebraska under the Kinkaid Act [20] (1904) and 320 elsewhere in the Great Plains under the Enlarged Homestead Act [21] (1909).
-Dust Bowl [19] (Wikipedia entry, accessed Nov. 15, 2013)
Ecosystem Services
Significant land areas are being designated for solar projects, including both natural and partially developed. However, the solar development does not have to be detrimental to the health and values of local environment. As well as providing low carbon energy, solar farms can also provide important benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem services. Furthermore, land use change for solar installation presents an opportunity to address the urgent challenges of mitigating ecosystem degradation. In other words, degrading lands can be brought back to health.
However, given the high rate of solar industry development, it is important time now when we need to determine the best ways to design and manage utility scale solar plants. In fact, many solar projects are built on low-grade or otherwise intensively managed agricultural land and may create an opportunity to enhance biodiversity and return the fields to a natural state.
Let us the review the main types of ecosystem services we are talking about here.
|
Provisioning |
Things that we get from the ecosystem: food, water, fresh air, wood, medicines, and other natural resources that fulfill our primary needs |
|
Regulating |
Processes in the environment that regulate climate, water cycling and purification, waste degradation, pollination for crops, soil erosion control, pest control, etc. |
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Cultural |
Non-material aesthetic and recreational values we get from being in the nature: e.g. views, hiking trails, fishing lakes, national parks, etc. These will support our emotional well-being and mental health |
|
Supporting |
Resources that support all the above services: habitat, flora and fauna, biodiversity, soil. |
There are sometimes no distinct boundaries between these types, as the same resource may be considered within several categories. For example, trees or soil can be both part of supporting system and provisioning products. Or another example is storing carbon in biomass can be both regulating (carbon sequestration) and resource generating or provisioning (fossil fuel).
At the stage of solar project design, we may want to take a close look at the ecosystem services existing in the target area and assess their environmental significance for the local community. Next, we may want to plan measures and design features that either have minimal impact on those services, enhance them, and add additional value. At the same time, we may want to avoid the actions or design features that are detrimental.
Try This! SPIES Tool.
A Group of researchers at the Universities of Lancaster and York (UK) developed an online tool – “Solar Park Impacts on Ecosystem Services" (SPIES) – that helps practitioners make informed decisions on solar design and environmental management. This tool is evidence-based, so all the impacts and strength of the impacts associated with different projects activities on site are researched and referenced. SPIES compiles 457 peer-reviewed academic articles collected via a systematic review of relevant issues.
The interactive interface allows users to arrange scientific evidence by ‘ecosystem service’ and to generate a list of management interventions that will affect the achievement of a desired environmental outcome.
The SPIES tool can be used for planning applications by showing how solar projects can contribute to the environmental and biodiversity targets, if managed properly. The options presented by SPIES can help developers decide which ecosystem enhancements will be the most appropriate at the particular locale. This tool can also be useful to local authorities and policy makers who are required to consider environmental benefits and risk and approving project proposals.
Go to the SPIES website: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/spies/ [22]
Scroll down to the bottom and click to download the SPIES tool – you will receive the login information for using the database. Feel free to check out other supporting resources.
Hope you find it useful in your own development!
10.4. Sustainability Ethics as Part of Solar Projects
Reading Assignment
- SECS, Chapter 1 - Introduction (re-read, with renewed focus on The Ethics of Sustainability and Ecosystems Services)
- C. Becker (2012) Sustainability Ethics and Sustainability Research, Chapter 3 - The Inherent Ethical Dimension of Sustainability – Toward a Relational Ethical Perspective (available on Canvas) pp. 17-20.
Sustainability Ethics
The major work of research on ecosystem services came out of the Millennium Ecosystems Assessment [6] from the United Nations. Even the synthesis report is a heavy read, so we have included it as supplemental reading. Here is an excerpt from the report that I considered to be highly appropriate in the context of developing large scale solar technologies globally:
Relationships between Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being (p. 49)
"Changes in ecosystem services influence all components of human well-being, including the basic material needs for a good life, health, good social relations, security, and freedom of choice and action (CF3). (See Box 3.1.) Humans are fully dependent on Earth’s ecosystems and the services that they provide, such as food, clean water, disease regulation, climate regulation, spiritual fulfillment, and aesthetic enjoyment. The relationship between ecosystem services and human well-being is mediated by access to manufactured, human, and social capital."
This statement is closely linked to the "sustainability ethic" - the term that has been eloquently summarized by Dr. Christian Becker (former faculty in the PSU Department of Philosophy, and expert on sustainability and ethics) as the following:
"Acknowledge and seek solutions that respect a systemic and simultaneous moral obligation to 1) contemporary global communities, 2) future generations of human society, and 3) the natural community or environment supporting life and biodiversity on Earth."
We can see that this invokes a pretty deep perspective, and there is a lot of value encompassed within such a concise statement. I want you to consider several ways of how we might incorporate the sustainability ethic as a motivator into our working lives as professionals.
- Embody your own conviction that corporate interests can be reconciled with social and environmental interests.
- Advocate public participation in the decisions that affect environmental justice.
- Make a business case for sustainable practices in the context of a particular energy business or utility.
Case Example: Keystone Solar Project
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(Image Credit: Community Energy [23]) |
The folks at Community Energy [24] and EDF Renewables [25] in Pennsylvania have developed just such an approach to project development, in their Keystone Solar [26] project. This 6 MW PV project was developed on Amish farmland, with specific research applied to the soil quality before and after the project installation. No concrete was used in the ground mount installation here. The design included vegetative buffering with native grasses, shrubs, and trees, allowing the solar installation to blend into the natural landscape. The project received a Project of Distinction Award at the 2013 PV America East Conference.
Several universities and other organizations signed up for a share of the renewable energy credits, including Drexel University, Franklin & Marshall College, Eastern University, Clean Air Council, the Philadelphia Phillies, Juniata College, Millersville University, and Marywood University.
Best practices were applied, and at the end of the contract employing the solar farm, the land owner will have the option to remove the entire installation and return the land back to farmland for agricultural crops. This is still not the norm in the industry, it is a best practice by a firm seeking to lead the industry.
Case Example: Penn State - Light Source BP 700 MW Solar Farm
“ UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. — On Feb. 5, 2019, Penn State and Lightsource BP announced the development of a large-scale, ground-mounted solar array of over 150,000 solar panels near Penn State’s Mont Alto Campus. This 70-megawatt, off-site solar energy project will support the University’s Strategic Plan, helping implement the plan’s "Stewarding Our Planet’s Resources" key pillar and supplying up to 25 percent of the University system’s electricity.” (Verdi, 2019 [27])
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This project boasts significant environmental benefits due to shifting the campus electricity generation from fossil fuel based to renewable sources. It is estimated that, once implemented, the project will result in 57,000 metric tons of avoided CO2e emissions per year, which is equivalent to 12,102 fuel-burning cars of the road. The project helps Penn State exceed its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 35% by 2020 and also provides the university with $14M in energy cost savings over the 25-year term of PPA agreement. But that is not the end of it. From the very start, the intention was to demonstrate that utility-scale solar can be and should be developed in a sustainable way, with careful consideration of local ecological values.
The bidding process required developers to evaluate the potential impacts on the land and nearby ecosystems by using a mapping tool developed by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) [28], a global environmental non-profit organization that advocates responsible use of land and sets priorities for conservation of sensitive and ecologically critical zones across all continents.
Lightsource BP is recognized for building solar farms that enhance environmental benefits to farm lands, preserving biodiversity and agricultural value of land. They worked together with Penn State’s researchers to come up with “environmentally-conscious” system design, which included elements, such as created wildlife habitats, plant communities that promote pollination and help uphold honey bee population, and sheep grazing (Ludt, 2019 [29]). By design, the solar farm allows for co-location of the traditional agriculture benefits (crop and livestock growing) with additional ecosystem services.
The construction of the plant has been completed in 2020, and Penn State announced in October 2020 that the university had begun purchasing solar electricity:
On-screen text: Welcome to our virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony. As of October 2020, Lightsource bp’s Nittany 1, 2 and 3 solar farms are generating renewable energy for all Penn State Campuses.
Eric Barron: Greetings! Last September Penn State and Lightsource bp celebrated the groundbreaking for a 70-megawatt solar project in Franklin county that would provide twenty-five of the University's total purchased electricity over twenty-five years. One year and one month later it's my pleasure to share that the project is complete, and Penn State is purchasing this renewable energy through a power purchase agreement. This is a bright and proud moment for Penn State and reminiscent of a day in April 2018 when I loaded the last shovel full of coal into the University power plant Penn State's commitment to renewable energy helps us reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs but the value of successfully completing projects like these extends far greater than achieving these two goals. Through these efforts from planning to implementation and beyond our students are granted first-hand, once in a lifetime access to innovative learning and research opportunities related to the expanding renewable energy industry. These living lab experiences prepare students for new career possibilities and a brighter future for all of us. Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to make this possible.
Kevin Smith: Hi, my name is Kevin Smith, I’m CEO of the Americas for Lightsource bp. Lightsource bp is a large-scale solar energy development company with activities around the world. As CEO of the Americas, I head up our US activities developing, investing, and building large-scale solar projects here across the US. I want to take a moment really to congratulate the Lightsource bp team and the Penn State University teams for really a terrific project here that's now completed construction and has started to generate a clean and cost-effective energy for Penn State University and the 100,000 students that they have across Pennsylvania. This is really a great example of what we would call responsible solar energy, so not only does it have cost-competitive energy, clean energy, created jobs during the construction period, and continued investment in the community through our expenditures on maintenance activities on the facility as we move forward. But it also provided uh some other community benefits um you know one of which is diversification of revenue streams to some of the farming community. So, some of the farmers that participate in the project um now have a long-term, safe, solar solar energy generated revenue stream to pair with their farming activities as well so provides them with that additional benefit of nice secure long-term revenue streams. In addition, we really looked at how to harmonize this project with nature in the area and with the farming community. That included the creation of habitats for wildlife and included a pollinator program with a custom seed mix to make sure we're developing the proper wildflowers in the area to help with pollination activities and in addition, we're going to be doing sheep grazing on one of the sites that we have here in the project you know. This work really came out of the shared goals that we have with Penn State University, they were very specific in their requirements for a project that they were going to be buying electricity from, and fortunately, this was really a core principle for Lightsource bp and our projects around the world is to develop these kinds of activities. It's been a great experience with Penn State University Meghan and Rob and President Barron and the whole team have been really wonderful to work with, really drove the requirements for the project and we look forward to continuing that relationship for decades to come. We have a number of interns that have been working with the company and we expect that will continue as we move forward -- looking at special projects not only for us but also for the University as they now have this large-scale facility at their doorstep where they can do investigations on all kinds of activities. Not only pollinator programs but also battery storage potential and other things. So anyway, we really look at this as a model project for us, and as does Penn State and we look to implement a lot of the things we learned on this project on our projects across the US. So, once again congratulations to the Penn State team and to the Lightsource bp team we look forward to a long and exciting relationship with Penn State as this project continues to go forward and generate electricity into the system. Thank you very much.
Rob Cooper: Hi, my name is Rob Cooper, I am the senior director of energy and engineering for the office of physical plant at Penn State. Since they began looking into solar years ago and have since learned so much about the value of renewables through our participation in this project. We have learned that utility-scale solar located in Pennsylvania can provide cost savings when compared to fossil fuel and nuclear power generation sources. We have learned that renewable projects can create jobs and generate supplemental income for farmers. We have learned that carefully designed and constructed solar projects can also improve local habitat and biodiversity and we have learned that these types of projects provide a valuable educational opportunity for Penn State students through research potential and student internships. Moving forward this experience will guide Penn State as we evaluate future opportunities to continue to lower our carbon emissions and make Penn State more sustainable.
Emilie Wangerman: Hi, my name is Emilie Wangerman and I lead Lightsource bp's business development organization. So, I have had the pleasure of working with Penn State throughout this whole process. I started with selecting the projects which we would submit into the RFP process which was well run and thoughtfully organized throughout the process. I really appreciated the questions that were asked and the focus on not only driving forward affordability for Penn State but also caring about the impact to the community and to the environment and the good news is that our projects were well paired to be selected and therefore move into negotiations which I did throughout the process with an amazing group of people at Penn State. Thanks to Rob and to Mike, both of you were a pleasure to work with, and then I had the opportunity to work with Meghan and others to really define what are the added benefits beyond the procurement process and that included things like internships and opportunities to engage in research. This is a great example of an RFP process that really can be a blueprint for other universities throughout the US and globally it's a great opportunity to find affordable clean energy and procure it in a way that you can ensure that you're getting a quality product. Overall, it was an exciting opportunity I look forward to the continued long-term partnership with Penn State, and overall, it's a great way to bring about a continued growth in the renewable energy market through a public and a private partnership. So congratulations to everybody this is an exciting time and I’m really proud that these projects are online and producing clean energy for Penn State.
David Dosker: Hello, my name is David Dosker and I’m the Lightsource bp project director for the Nittany one, two, and three solar sites. As the project director for Lightsource bp I’m responsible for the planning and construction of the Nittany sites. Over the last year and a half, it has been my honor to work with Meghan Hoskins and the Penn State team. Both Lightsource bp and I are proud of the relationships and the facilities that we have built together, we are excited that the Nittany sites will continue to provide benefit to Penn State the community and to the environment for years to come. Congratulations to Penn State and Lightsource bp as we start this amazing energy journey together.
Meghan Hoskins: Hello, I’m Meghan Hoskins at the Penn State sustainability institute. This solar project has been unique in many ways, but I'd like to give you a couple of quick examples of collaboration efforts among partners of the project that have made it really special. One of Penn State's priorities for the project was to share the story of how large-scale solar projects can be developed in a way that benefits the local community and environmental resources surrounding the project. We achieved this through a partnership with the association for the advancement of sustainability in higher education: where we produced a webinar that highlights the process that Penn State went through to involve partners like the nature conservancy and Lightsource bp to achieve our goals of responsible environmental stewardship. That webinar is accessible to anyone and we hope you'll go check it out. Another goal we had was to make the sites available not only to the humans in the neighborhood and at Penn State but also as habitat for local wildlife as a company who shares our goals of improving local ecology, Lightsource bp partnered with a local farmer who will graze sheep on one site and also planted a seed mix around and under the arrays that was recently designed by other partners to support not just sheep but also insects, a seed mix, appropriately named fuzz and buzz.
Mark Chambers: Hello, everyone Mark Chambers, senior construction manager for Lightsource bp. So, I’m back in the fieldwork until it started, over here at solar one. I have to say this has been a really interesting journey with everything that's going on, great people, meeting the Penn State faculty and students, very smart, really good questions but I have to say that one big thing is that with these interesting times is realizing the perseverance of what the team had to get it done. We have a great crew, finished, and provided three safe quality clean energy generation projects. These were the first for us with Penn State, hopefully not the last and see you at the next one in the meantime please be safe, take care, and go lions!
David Gray: thank you for joining us as we celebrate this important moment in Penn State's history. In January of 2019, I was genuinely enthusiastic to sign on behalf of the University, a solar-powered purchase agreement with Lightsource bp to build the largest solar array in Pennsylvania. Through this initiative, Penn State is doing good and doing well simultaneously. We're doing good things for future generations by reducing dangerous greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change we're doing well for the University by producing a positive return on investment that will yield millions of dollars in net present value savings for Penn State. At a time when we are facing so many great challenges, the beginning of this 25-year power purchase agreement offers a bright moment and a true reflection of the University's ability and commitment to not just grow but to succeed in a way that enhances the health and sustainability of the planet and future generations this project has involved countless Penn State students, faculty and staff along with industry professionals but its positive impact will reach all of us. When Penn State reduces its carbon emissions by utilizing more renewable and affordable energy, we all win! This is just one example of how Penn State prioritizes doing well while doing good and just one reason why I am so proud to be a Penn Stater. We are Penn State! And we are doing great things for the environment. Thank you!
More facts about the project:
Penn State: Power by the Sun, Lightsource BP – Penn State Brochure 2020 [30].
The latest announcement of project commission:
Penn State Powers Up with Solar [31], BusinessWire, 10/15/2020.
Try This! Explore Resilient Land Mapping Tool
This web tool provides you with several metrics and interface to evaluate the environmental sensitivity of a region or site. If you consider developing a tract of land or re-purpose a natural area or farmland for solar installation, it is important to access the potential impacts on biodiversity, water ways, soil, species migration routes, and other factors. For example, it may help you to choose an area with the highest resilience or avoid areas that are prioritized for conservation.
First, it is helpful to understand the core concepts of terrestrial resilience. Visit this webpage [32] to study the metrics used in mapping.
Resilient Land Mapping Tool [33]
Zoom in the location of your interest. There are several options on the right hand menu to display different metrics on the map: Resilient Sites, Connectivity and Climate Flow, Recognized Biodiversity Value, and Resilient and Connected Network. You can try to switch between the options and interpret the markings based on the legend at the bottom of the menu.
Then try to “Sketch a Polygon” over a specific site (see button on the upper right). In a minute, the system will generate a profile report for that site, which gives you some quantitative information on ecological sensitivities in this area.
Think how this information can help you make a case for sustainable solar project. Feel free to use this tool for site assessment in your course project.
10.5 Ecosystems Services in the Urban Environment
Reading Assignment
- D. Ervin, D. Brown, H. Chang, V. Dujon, E. Granek, V. Shandas, and A. Yeakley (2012). "Growing Cities Depend on Ecosystem Services." [34] Solutions, Vol 2, No. 6. pp. 74-86.
Urban Ecosystems
Portland State University of Oregon, USA has developed an IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship; federally funded graduate research) on "Ecosystem Services for Urbanizing Regions." They have clearly identified our urban ecosystems as essential as well. Looking at the summary of content from our reading, we should note how closely it all aligns with the integrative design approach in our own text book.
- The global human population living in urban regions: >50% (projected to grow by 2050). This urban-centered ecosystem will intensify pressure on ecosystems that support urban areas.
- Wicked problems [35]: generated by urban population pressure on ecosystems, and their services require integrative solutions (transdisciplinary) that include multiple fields of study and practice.
- Best practices: formed through collaborations among multiple organizations: nonprofit, public/government, and private.
- Integrative design: collaboration where all relevant stakeholders are brought into the processes of problem scoping, design, and implementation.
- Requires innovative education: to train future scientists and managers in integrative problem-based strategies and design for critical challenges in ecosystem management.
Now, how are you going to think about urban ecosystems services in your own solar design projects?
10.6 Discussion Activity
Ultra-Mega Solar
Now that we have seen indicators of the growth of solar globally in both rural and urban regions, let us discuss the next ultra-mega solar project that is being proposed for India...which was ultimately stopped and shifted to the state of Gujarat due to environmental concerns! Let us set the stage as if we were in 2013:
- Bloomberg. com: "India Plans 4,000-Megawatt Solar Farm in Rajasthan State" [36] Natalie Obiko Pearson - Sep 26, 2013 5:38 AM ET (Accessed Nov. 12, 2013)
- "India to set up world's largest solar project near Sambhar lake in Rajasthan" [37]Press Trust of India. Sep 21, 2013 at 02:24pm IST
- Rajasthan, India [38]: the nearby location is Sambhar Lake [39] (a salt source for the state) and Jaipur. [40]
- 4 GW centralized solar power, but it is not clear if it will be PV or CPV or CSP.
- What is there now? Dhirubhai Ambani Solar Park [41]: much less than neighboring Gujarat
Research and discuss what has happened to the “best laid plans” over the following years (up until today). See what factors created barriers when the broader stakeholders become aware of the impacts of ultra-mega solar. Where did the larger plants actually get developed, and why in those locations, rather than in the desert near a sensitive ecosystem?
What would have been the likely outcomes in terms of the 4 ecosystems services if the project had moved forward to installation and commissioning, given the present ecosystem services of the Sambhar Lake area and the nearby capital city of Jaipur?
Finally, pose yourself in government at the State level. Think about what alternatives you would have recommended for this ambitious project(s)? Why are locale, and stakeholder preference, so important to solar design at the policy levels?
This discussion will take place in the Lesson 10 Discussion Forum in Canvas
Grading Criteria
You will be graded on the quality of your post and the thoughtful contributions you make to your classmates' posts. Please see the Discussion Expectations and Rubric [42] under Orientation/Resources.
Deadline: please see the course calendar for specific due dates.
10.7. Learning Activity - Sustainability and Ecosystem Services Pitch
Learning Activity - Sustainability and Ecosystems Services Pitch
Consider a scenario where you are an entrepreneur in a new solar energy technology startup. Your challenge is to integrate the principles of sustainability and environmental justice with your solar technology and generate a convincing pitch for your stakeholders.
Think about your course project proposal and identify the ecosystem services at your locale that need to be maintained, enhanced, or created and how you would address them in your business plan.
Here are some questions you may want to ask and answer:
- Why is it important to include ethics and sustainability strategy in solar project development?
- What is the short-term or long-term benefits in devising and implementing measures for maintaining ecosystem services at your site?
- Is there co-location of services in your project that benefit community at large?
- What will you do to ensure the resilience of land and nearby ecosystems through the project lifetime?
- Is there a merit in devising a progressive solar policy including the above aspects at the local, state, or federal level for projects like yours?
These questions become particularly important in formulating the core business philosophy for a specific firm. However, the context of the assignment here still needs to be couched within a real locale and for a well-defined client. (That is why I encourage you to tie it to your project proposal)
Directions
As a deliverable for this learning activity, you will need to create a 3-min video with your pitch to a potential client or stakeholder, specifically outlining the environmental benefits of your project design approach and share it on the Lesson 10 discussion forum in Canvas.
The style of the video is your preference – whatever works best for you personally. You can use a couple of slides, images, your own footage, or even show some data (if it helps) and narrate over it or you can just speak to the camera.
Because you need to keep it within 3-min limit and still to be informative, writing a script beforehand is highly helpful, but it is not required for submission.
Video creation options (choose one of these):
- Use Zoom to record your speech and save it to a cloud
- Use narrated Power Point slide show and save it as video [43] (mp4)
- Use the “Record/Upload Media” button in the tool menu in the discussion thread in Canvas
- Record the video on your phone
If you are making video with your phone, it will need to be uploaded it to a video-sharing platform (e.g. YouTube or Google). You can designate it “unlisted” if you do not want to make it public. Then share a link or embed the video to your Canvas post.
Submitting your work
Please share the link to your video in your post on Lesson 10 Discussion Forum in Canvas. Please do not include your video as an attachment – in that case viewers will have to download the file to their computer to see it (and that is what we try to avoid). Wherever you share the video, be sure to set permissions so that anyone with the link could view it.
Grading criteria:
You will be graded on your ability to clearly convey the benefits of your ecosystem services plan to a broad audience. This activity is worth 20 points. Please see grading rubric in Canvas.
10.8. Summary and Final Tasks
Summary
Lessons 8, 9, and 10 addressed the Goal of Solar Design by helping the client to manage risk in the given locale. We addressed managing risk by looking at uncertainties that are encompassed in the long, generational term time horizons, and by considering societal and environmental impacts of a design. In Lesson 10, you were dealing with broader impacts and motivations driving solar energy project development. By now, you should be familiar with:
- describing the manner in which sustainability ethics can be included in project design as a motivating factor;
- describing the four main classes of goods and services that are supplied by ecosystems: called ecosystems services;
- applying the concept of ecosystems services to renewable energy projects in rural and urban scenarios;
- the context of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment [1].
Great work on this lesson, which ties the project design to sustainability consideration in a broader sense!
This is the end of our formal lesson content for the course! We will now spend the rest of the semester developing and presenting our design proposals that synthesize the learning over the last few months. Best of luck to you on that important task!
Reminder
Double-check the to-do list on the Lesson 10 Learning Outcomes page to make sure you have completed all of the activities listed there before you begin Lesson 11.