Photovoltaic Panels Can Promote Ecological Function in Semiarid Areas

ABSTRACT Ecosystems are facing multiple pressures from limited natural resources, population growth, and climate change, which challenges the achievement of sustainable development goals. The combination of agriculture and photovoltaic power generation can mitigate multiple societal challenges. However, it is still poorly understood whether photovoltaic benefits multiple ecosystem functions and the impact of different types of photovoltaic panels on ecological functions. To quantify the ecosystem impact of photovoltaic systems, we conducted a field study under and outside the photovoltaic panels, and we measured plant structure, carbon stocks, soil stability, and soil nutrients to represent the characterization of the whole ecosystem function. We found that photovoltaic panels facilitated plant structure recovery (e.g., height, cover, and aboveground biomass) due to the shade effect and the input of clean water. However, the photovoltaic panels' construction had a negative impact on soil properties, with soil stability decreasing and soil nutrient loss. Fixed panels had greater carbon stock and soil water content, whereas rotating panels proved more effective in controlling plant growth and reducing fire hazards. The differences between fixed and rotating panels mainly lay in the difference in shade effect and the ease of access for sheep entering under the photovoltaic panels. Our study indicated that the “photovoltaic‐grass‐sheep” land management facilitated multiple sustainable development goals and provided a win‐win situation for herders and solar operators.