Influence of SPV Installations on the Thermal Character of the Urban Milieu

The solar photovoltaic (SPV) market is growing at a rapid pace with ambitious targets being set worldwide. India is not far behind with an overall solar target of 100 gigawatts (GW) to be achieved by 2022, out of which 40 gigawatts is to be achieved by solar rooftop. Additionally, the depleting non-renewable energy sources and the extensive pollution being done by the aforementioned sources are fueling the renewable energy drive. The threat of climate change, which is fast becoming a reality with effects seen globally, is another contributing factor. The effect of SPV installations on the temperature profiles of their surroundings and the urban thermal environment (UTE) is being studied at a global level, which has arrived at contradictory results, positive as well as negative. However, no such study has been done in the Indian context, which is crucial considering the country’s targets for rooftop installation specifically. The thermal environment of the vicinity is affected by the installations, as seen in the various global studies; the question is how this heat–energy balance is occurring in the Indian context. This review paper looks critically at studies focusing on the relation between SPV installation and the urban heat island (UHI) effect. It is a compilation and analysis of 22 different studies done so far at the global level to gain a thorough understanding of the diverse results. In conclusion, this review highlights the absence of any comprehensive study on the interaction of SPV installations with the built environment at a micro-level and establishes the need for region-based complete studies on the thermal behavior of SPV technology.