Land Use Intensity, Power Density, and Energy Density of Photovoltaic Power Plants

Introduction
Photovoltaic power plants are expanding their installed capacity worldwide, accompanied by a growing number of installations. This relates to land-use transformation and to competition among various land-use forms. Specifically, photovoltaic power plants, particularly utility-scale ones, can compete with agriculture and other land uses, such as mining and urban development. Thus, it is important to investigate the intensity of land use and the power density of these generation units to adequately evaluate the impact of this type of renewable energy on land-use structures.

Methods
The works aimed at determining the power density, land-use intensity, or energy density of the power plants in question were considered. Scientific databases (Scopus and Web of Science) were used to find relevant articles. Subsequently, the calculations, which enable comparison of the examined coefficients, were performed.

Results
The results provide important information on environmental impact, enabling evaluation of the scale of potential land-use transformation relative to the planned volume of installed capacity. This study, building on recent work on this topic, examines the land-use intensity of photovoltaic power plants. Moreover, the power density of the considered power plants is determined. This coefficient is essential when comparing different types of generation units, as it allows assessment of the electricity production efficiency of individual technologies in terms of land use. Furthermore, energy density, being a derivative of power density, is presented. In addition, the interrelation of the indicated coefficients is described.

Conclusions: Power density is a parameter strictly related to land-use intensity and varies under specific conditions across regions. Additionally, when evaluating the employment of photovoltaic power plants, the energy density factor should be taken into account.