Work

Carbon neutrality strategies modulate air quality effects on solar power generation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Solar photovoltaic power is essential for achieving carbon neutrality, yet its output is highly sensitive to changes in air quality under future emission pathways. We integrate energy-economy, coupled meteorology-chemistry, and photovoltaic performance models to quantify how alternative carbon-neutrality pathways influence solar power generation via air quality changes in China. Here we show that a pathway emphasizing renewable-energy deployment yields the greatest air-quality improvements, boosting annual photovoltaic power generation by 57,526 ± 10,314 gigawatt-hours (GWh) relative to business-as-usual, equivalent to economic gains of US$5.18 ± 0.93 billion by 2060. These gains are driven primarily by aerosol-cloud interactions rather than aerosol-radiation interactions. In contrast, pathways relying on biomass or carbon capture achieve only about one-third of these gains. The largest gains occur in eastern and southern China, where electricity demand is highest. These findings highlight the importance of co-optimizing decarbonization and air-pollution mitigation to maximize the renewable energy benefits of carbon-neutrality strategies.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-77344-z