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Title: Lockdown helping produce more solar power: Study
Source:The Hindu Business Line
Date:24 June 2020

The Covid-19 induced lockdown seems to have had an unexpected outcome an increase in solar production in urban areas. Many cities around the world, including Delhi, witnessed a drastic reduction in air-pollution levels with the majority of industrial units temporarily shutting down and vehicles staying off the road during the lockdown. An international team of researchers has found that cleaner air has led to more sunlight reaching solar panels, resulting in production of more clean energy. The study by researchers from Germany and the US appeared in the journal Joule on June 2020. They found that in late March 2020, the amount of sunlight reaching the solar panels in Delhi increased about 8 per cent, compared with data from the same dates from 2017 to 2019. The insolation at noon increased from about 880 Watt/sqm to about 950 W/sqm. Information on air quality and particulate matter suggested that reduced pollution levels were a major cause for the rise.




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