Geoengineering could dim lights on solar power

PUMPING aerosol particles into the atmosphere to create a sunshade could take a heavier toll on solar power generation than expected.

For every 1 per cent of the sun’s rays deflected into space, the average output of solar systems that rely on direct sunlight would drop by 4 to 5 per cent, says Daniel Murphy at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, Colorado. Geoengineers propose scattering 1 to 2 per cent of sunlight

Losses could reach 20 per cent in the late afternoon during summer, Murphy warns, because more light is scattered when the sun is lower (Environmental Science and Technology, vol 43, p 2784).

New Scientist