Introduction to the Lecture

Solar energy can contribute to global climate mitigation by reducing reliance on fossil fuel energy. It has been proposed that large-scale solar power plants (covering 20%) in the Sahara desert can generate sufficient energy to meet global consumption needs while simultaneously increasing rainfall and promoting vegetation recovery in the region. However, by employing an advanced Earth-system model EC-Earth (coupled atmosphere, ocean, sea-ice, terrestrial ecosystem), we show the unintended remote effects of Sahara solar farms on global climate and vegetation cover through shifted atmospheric circulation. These effects include global temperature rise, particularly over the Arctic; the redistribution of precipitation (most notably droughts and forest degradation in the Amazon) and northward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone; the northward expansion of deciduous forests in the Northern Hemisphere; and redistribution of available solar energy resources due to global cloud cover adjustment. A deep understanding of such feedbacks in the Earth system will help to guide the planning and deployment of large-scale solar power plants that may be built in deserts worldwide. Furthermore, we will discuss preliminary findings of assessments of the impacts of large-scale solar and wind energy, utilizing regional climate model simulations, with a focus on specific regions such as northwestern China and northern Europe.

Profile of the Speaker

Lu Zhengyao is currently a researcher in the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science of Lund University, Sweden. In 2017, he obtained a doctorate in meteorology from the Department of Atmospheric and Marine Sciences, Peking University. His research interest is to study the climate feedback process on a long-time scale with the application of Earth system model, for example, how global change alters structure and functions of terrestrial ecosystems, and how terrestrial ecosystems regulate climate change; the interaction between renewable energy and climate and ecosystem; Niño–Southern Oscillation evolution in the past and the future. Lu Zhengyao has published more than 60 academic papers in Nat Geo, NSR, GRL and other journals as the first or corresponding author; presided over many research projects funded by such institutions as the Swedish Natural Science Foundation and the Sustainable Development Fund.

Long Jingchao is currently an associate professor and head of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Guangdong Ocean University. He received a doctorate in meteorology from the Department of Marine Meteorology, China Ocean University in 2018. In recent years, he is mainly engaged in the observation and numerical simulation of mesoscale air-sea interaction, such as the impact of ocean front and vortex on the boundary layer phenomenon (low cloud/sea fog), as well as the evaluation of renewable energy and its climate impact. He has published more than 20 academic papers in CEE, JGR-A, AAS, AR and other journals as the first or corresponding author. In addition, he has presided over many research and teaching projects, such as National Natural Science Foundation Youth Project, Guangdong Science and Technology Project and University-level Teaching Quality Project.