Environment
More than 1300 square kilometres of cropland worldwide was covered by solar panels in 2018, an area that could be producing 4 quadrillion calories per year
By Madeleine Cuff
Facebook / Meta
Twitter / X icon
A solar energy project built on farmland in Anglesey, UK
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
The boom in solar energy around the world has led to huge numbers of panels being installed on prime agricultural land, taking quadrillions of calories out of the global food supply.
More than 5000 square kilometres of the world’s surface was covered by solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in 2018 1655 times more than in 2003. Much of that has happened on cropland that could produce enough food to feed millions of people, according to a study by Wu Xiao at Zhejiang University, China, and his colleagues.
View introductory offers
No commitment, cancel anytime*
Offer ends 2nd of July 2024.
*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on
unserved issues.
Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)
or
Existing subscribers
Sign in to your account
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2437498-solar-boom-has-replaced-farmland-that-could-feed-millions-of-people/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home
