Nested under the category of ENERGY is the eighth most effective form of drawing carbon back to the earth, SOLAR FARMS.

Ranking and Results by 2050

• 36.9 gigatons reduced CO2
• -$80.6 billion net cost
• $5.02 trillion net savings

A massive ramp-up of of solar power is part of any scenario for drawing CO2 back into earth, simply because it makes sense. The sun shines every day providing a virtually unlimited, clean, and free fuel at a price that never changes. Small clustered and distributed panels are conspicuous , where large scale arrays are more obvious and can contain hundreds, sometimes thousands, and even in some cases millions of panels generating huge capacities of energy, even in the tens or hundreds of megawatts. When their full lifespan is taken into consideration, solar farms curtail 94% of the carbon emissions that coal plants emit, and completely eliminate emissions of sulfur and nitrous oxides, mercury, and particulates. Beyond the ecosystem damage that these pollutants do, they are major contributors to outdoor air pollution and are responsible for 3.7 million premature deaths in 2012.

Compared to rooftop solar, solar farms enjoy lower installation costs per watt, and their efficiency in turning sunlight into electricity (known as their efficiency rating) is higher. When their panels are made to rotate to make the most sun efficiency, generation improves dramatically. Although, the solar panel production time is during the day, peaking between 10 am and 2pm, and electrical demand usually peak after 5pm . Therefore, complimentary renewables, such as geothermal and wind that have different generation rhythms are integral to a flexible and intelligent grid.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency , solar energy already is credited to saving 220 to 330 million tons of carbon dioxide from entering our earth’s atmosphere each year, and photovoltaics is less than 2% of the global electricity mix at the present moment. Some Oxford researchers predict solar will provide 20% of global energy needs by 2027! Thanks to government interventions and market progress, there are many promising signs: costs reaching “grid parity” with fossil fuel generation and dropping, the typical solar factory churning out hundreds of megawatts of solar capacity each year, and panels lasting easily for 25 years, if not decades more. Italy, Germany, and Greece are leaders in the solar revolution. Blessings!

— from Paul Hawkens book “Drawdown “