Three members of the Georgia Tech community recently published an article in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews titled “Carbon Drawdown Potential of Utility-Scale Solar in the United States: Evidence from the State of Georgia.” Marilyn Brown, Regents Professor and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the School of Public Policy, served as primary author; Georgia Tech alumni Ranal Tudawe and Hamilton Steimer were co-authors. Steimer graduated from the Master of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Management program in 2020.

In the article, the authors discuss utility-scale solar systems, or those which “use ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems to convert solar energy into electricity.” These systems, they explain, are larger than customer-owned rooftop solar or community solar systems. They provide evidence of the benefits of utility-scale solar, both from a consumer and carbon footprint standpoint.

Brown et al. argue, however, that choosing utility-scale solar over rooftop solar — instead of developing both technologies — is not the most effective way to develop a clean energy economy in Georgia.

“Choosing one or the other type of solar represents a false dichotomy,” the authors write. “Ultimately, meeting science-based climate goals will require a broad, deep, and rapid response that engages both utility-scale and rooftop solar.”

Read the full article at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112318.