Monitoring investigation on impact of pile-based PV modules on several typical environmental elements in coastal mudflat intertidal zone

Abstract

With the construction of large photovoltaic modules in the intertidal zone, their impact on the environment has attracted people’s attention. The paper took the first large-scale power generation project of “fishery-PV complementary” in the coastal mudflat intertidal zone of China as the research object and studied several typical environmental factors through on-site monitoring. The study results indicate that the average and maximum wind speeds in non-PV areas are more than twice that of PV areas. The still wind frequency in non-PV areas is the least, and the wind direction is significantly different from that in PV areas. The presence of PV modules significantly reduces the air circulation in the PV area. This resulted in higher average atmospheric temperature and mudflat temperature at the monitoring point located in the inner side of the PV area, and the temperature values fluctuated slightly. The solar radiation detected in the PV area is significantly lower than that in the non-PV area. The dissolved oxygen content gradually increases from the nearshore mudflat to the seaward. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of offshore mudflat resources and the environmental protection of the intertidal zone.