Intentionally planting flowers does not bloom, and unintentionally planting willows and willows into the shade. In real life, sometimes we try our best to do something, but it backfires. But sometimes, seemingly oolongs and mistakes can unexpectedly bring unexpected surprises.
There was once a project that wanted to build a power plant in the desert, but ended up harvesting an oasis pasture, which has been called China's biggest oolong incident. What's going on here?
The predecessor of photovoltaic power generation
The history of solar power can be traced back to the early 19th century, but the real industrialization process began in the second half of the 20th century. Among them, there is the credit of continuous breakthroughs in solar energy technology, and it is also inseparable from the persistent pursuit of clean energy by human beings.
As early as 1839, the French scientist Becreel discovered the "photogenerated volt effect", which laid the groundwork for the invention of solar cells in the future.
In 1883, American inventor Charles Fritz created the world's first selenium solar cell. Although the conversion efficiency at the time was pitifully low, this was the first attempt by mankind to use solar power to generate electricity.
In the 21st century, under the threat of global warming, countries pay more attention to the development and utilization of clean energy. Solar power generation has also ushered in explosive growth.
According to the International Energy Agency, the world's installed solar power capacity was only 1.4GW in 2000, soared to 40GW in 2010, and exceeded the 700GW mark in 2020. Today, solar energy is one of the fastest-growing energy sources in the world.
In this "photovoltaic fever", China can be said to be the lagging behind. Although solar energy research in mainland China began in the 50s of the last century, until the end of the 90s, the photovoltaic industry was still in its infancy. In 2000, the installed capacity of photovoltaic power generation in mainland China was less than 20MW, and the global share was less than 1%.
After entering the new century, with the strong support of the government, China's photovoltaic industry has achieved leapfrog development. Especially after 2011, the mainland began to implement the "photovoltaic leader" plan, and photovoltaic power generation entered the fast lane.
By 2015, China had surpassed Germany to become the world's largest PV installer. Today, the installed capacity of photovoltaic power generation in China has exceeded 300GW, accounting for about one-third of the global total.
In the vast western part of the continent, there are unique solar energy resources. The solar energy resources in the western region are equivalent to 4.5 trillion tons of standard coal, and the development potential is huge.
In recent years, a large number of large-scale photovoltaic power stations have sprung up in the western desert Gobi, like "green pearls", shining brightly.
A photovoltaic power plant rising in the desert
In Gansu Province in northwestern China, there is a desert called "Tara Beach". There is a perennial drought and little rain, and there is no grass, and it is desolate as far as the eye can see.
The Mongolian word for Tara Tan means "salt flat", which shows how harsh the natural environment here is. But it is in this barren land that a large-scale photovoltaic power generation project is quietly rising.
In 2015, took aim at the abundant solar energy resources in Tara Beach and decided to build a super-large photovoltaic power plant with an installed capacity of up to 1GW here.
You must know that at that time, there had never been such a large-scale attempt at photovoltaic power stations in China and even in the world. Building a large-scale photovoltaic power plant in the desert is undoubtedly a big gamble.
The engineers took into account the specificities of the desert environment at the beginning of the design. In order to avoid the accumulation of sand and affect the efficiency of power generation, they elevated the photovoltaic panels to a certain height.
This way, the sand is less likely to accumulate and the rainwater can better seep into the ground when it rains. At the same time, they also used photovoltaic panels that generate electricity on both sides to increase power generation by taking advantage of the reflection of the desert surface.
In order to prevent the erosion of the power station by wind and sand, the engineers also planted a large number of drought-tolerant plants such as Saxony saxonoux around the power station, as if putting on a layer of green "protective clothing" for the power station.
In addition, they built intricate drainage ditches to channel the infiltration of valuable rainwater and maximize the use of water resources.
After more than two years of hard work day and night, the first phase of the "giant" Tara Beach photovoltaic power station was finally connected to the grid in 2017.
As far as the eye can see, hundreds of thousands of blue photovoltaic panels spread out on the yellow sand, like a blue ocean, which forms a stark contrast to the desolate desert, which makes people can't help but be amazed.
It is reported that the Tara Tan photovoltaic power station can provide more than 1.5 billion kWh of clean electricity every year, which is equivalent to reducing more than 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, bringing valuable green energy to the local area, and this project also creates a precedent for large-scale construction of photovoltaic power stations in the desert, setting a benchmark for the photovoltaic industry in the mainland and even the world.
3 Unexpected "pastures" in the desert
Who would have thought that in the desolate desert of Tara Beach, there would be a vibrant "pasture"? This is not a fantasy, but an unexpected surprise brought by a photovoltaic power station.
It has only been more than a year since the Tara Tan photovoltaic power plant was put into operation, and clusters of green grass have emerged on the sand below the power station, and the originally bare sand dunes have gradually become sparsely vegetated. After a while, the underside of the power station was lush and green, like an oasis. This change is really surprising.
Researchers rushed to the scene to find out. After a closer inspection, they found that the desert was covered by more than 85% vegetation. In addition to the pioneer plant Saxon, a variety of drought-tolerant plants such as sand pong and flower sticks have also emerged.
Good things have happened one after another, and wild animals that have not been seen for a long time have also appeared, such as yellow sheep, foxes, hares, etc., have resettled in this land.
It turns out that in order to cope with the erosion of photovoltaic panels by wind and sand, engineers have sown a large amount of grass seeds around the power station.
I thought that in this barren land, the growth of grass would be difficult. Surprisingly, under the protection of photovoltaic panels, the grass grows at an unusually fast rate. In less than a year, a lush meadow has formed beneath the power station.
Huge photovoltaic panels act as a "parasol", providing shade to the grass below. During the day, they block out the strong sunlight so that the young grass shoots do not dry up.
At night, when the temperature drops, the water vapor meets the cold photovoltaic panels and condenses into crystal dew drops, which drip onto the grass and provide valuable moisture for the pasture. Under such "care", a vibrant grassland actually "grows" in the desert.
However, the rapid growth of the pastures has brought new problems. The dense grass soon grows to the height of photovoltaic panels, which begins to affect the efficiency of power generation. Mowing and weeding, the engineers tried their best, but with little success.
Just when everyone was at a loss, a biological expert came up with a "golden idea": why not introduce cattle and sheep to graze?
As soon as they said it, the power station immediately reached a cooperation with the local herders, inviting them to lead their cattle and sheep to the park for grazing. In order to allow the livestock to move freely, the workers deliberately raised the height of the photovoltaic panels. In this way, a new model of "generating electricity on the board and grazing under the board" was born.
The cattle and sheep not only helped the power station solve the problem of weeding, but also saved a lot of forage for the herdsmen. Today, four modern sheepfolds have been built in the Tara Tan PV Park, raising more than 20,000 sheep. An unexpected "photovoltaic ranch" broke ground in this way.
For herders, this oolong "photovoltaic pasture" is simply a godsend. Sonam Dolma is one of the beneficiaries. Since coming to the park to graze, his sheep flock has doubled, and his annual income has increased by 40,000 or 50,000 yuan.
"In the past, grazing sheep in the desert was a big problem. Now, the pasture in the power station is our cornucopia!" said Sonam Zhuoma with a smile.
In addition to grazing, some herders have also found new jobs at the power station, where they are responsible for cleaning and maintaining photovoltaic panels. A stable salary gives them a new basis for their lives.
Broad prospects for desert PV
The windfall of Tara Beach is only a small bite of the big cake of desert photovoltaics. In recent years, in the vast desert areas of northwest China, large and small photovoltaic power plants have sprung up.
According to statistics, in the seven desert areas alone, the theoretical potential of photovoltaic development exceeds 5 trillion kWh. That's a pretty impressive number. You must know that in 2022, the electricity consumption of the whole society in the mainland will only be 8.64 trillion kWh. The potential of desert PV is huge.
In addition, the use of desert to build photovoltaic power stations can not only obtain a steady stream of clean electricity, but also hope to achieve green governance and ecological restoration of the desert. It's a lot to do, so why not?
The practice of various places shows that as long as the photovoltaic power station is reasonably laid out and cleverly designed, it can slow down the wind and sand, conserve water, and create conditions for the growth of pioneer plants while generating electricity.
Some places have also played "fancy photovoltaic", combining photovoltaic with water-saving agriculture, facility breeding and other industries to achieve the diversified development of "photovoltaic + agriculture". This can't help but make people feel that photovoltaic is not only the future of energy, but also the "golden key" of rural revitalization.
Driven by this "photovoltaic heat", the former "sand in and people retreat" has now become "green in and sand retreat". The desert, once considered a "barren land", is quietly undergoing surprising changes.
At present, under the guidance of the "dual carbon" goal, China is vigorously promoting the development and utilization of renewable energy such as wind power and photovoltaic power. With its unique sunlight and land resources, desert areas are expected to become the "main battlefield" of photovoltaic construction in the future.
According to the plan, by 2030, the installed photovoltaic capacity in China's desert areas is expected to reach more than 100 million kilowatts. At that time, the miracle of Tara Beach may be repeated in more deserts.
However, in order to realize this grand blueprint, we still need to continue to make efforts in technology, policy, and market. With the progress of technology and the improvement of policies, desert photovoltaic will usher in a broader development prospect. In the near future, more and more "Tara Beach" will bloom on the desert Gobi.
Among them, it is inseparable from the active exploration and innovation practice of relevant enterprises. For example, some companies are developing lighter, thinner, and more flexible photovoltaic modules to adapt to the undulating changes of desert terrain.
Some companies aim at the integration trend of "optical storage and charging", and lay out desert photovoltaic + energy storage + electric vehicle charging stations to create a "new landmark" of green energy.
These innovative practices have undoubtedly injected new vitality into the development of desert photovoltaics. Seeds are taking root and sprouting in this vast sea of sand, revealing new green.
Epilogue:
It can be seen that while pursuing economic development, we must also learn to conform to nature and restore the ecology. Small changes that may seem inconspicuous can sometimes lead to unexpected surprises.
The oasis that "grows" in the desert is a microcosm of the harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Use innovative ideas and methods to achieve a win-win situation of environmental protection and economic development.