In a joint initiative, the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have introduced the US Large-Scale Photovoltaic Database (USPVDB), a comprehensive compilation of details for nearly 4,000 utility solar projects in the United States. This publicly accessible database is hailed as the most extensive of its kind, providing critical information such as location, size, and key characteristics of the nation's utility-scale PV fleet.
The primary objective of the USPVDB is to empower researchers to analyze trends in large-scale solar development and contribute valuable insights for future solar deployment. The database aligns with President Joe Biden's commitment to decarbonize the US electricity system by 2035, with estimates suggesting that solar could constitute up to 40% of US electricity demand by the same year, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).
Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, highlighted the significance of the database, stating, “Nearly 4,000 solar systems are mapped in this database, providing a crucial new asset for researchers, energy planners, government, and the solar industry.” The detailed information within the database aims to enhance responsible siting of large-scale solar energy projects nationwide.
As the US experiences a surge in utility-scale solar development, with expectations of further growth in the next decade, the potential land requirement for these projects could reach up to 5.7 million acres by 2035 and possibly 10 million acres by 2050.
The USPVDB enhances existing large-scale PV databases by including information on each project's total footprint area, panel technology type, axis type, year of completion, and generation capacity. Additionally, data from the Environmental Protection Agency's RE-Power initiative, focusing on renewable energy developments on contaminated land sites, is incorporated. This includes information on the project's site conditions, contamination history, and identification of agrivoltaic sites.
Co-funded by the DOE's Solar Energy Technologies Office, the USPVDB is expected to serve researchers and decision-makers by facilitating analyses of solar's role in decarbonization and aiding in the planning of new investments in PV infrastructure.
