The Sunlight Budget of Earth
17 days ago
- #photosynthesis
- #sustainability
- #solar-energy
- Sunlight is a key energy source for modern biotechnology, including biofuels and bioengineered products.
- Humanity's use of sunlight for solar power and agriculture is significant but still a small fraction compared to natural photosynthesis.
- Wild ecosystems absorb about 120,000 GW of sunlight on land and a similar amount in the ocean, dwarfing human usage.
- Only about 0.5% of sunlight absorbed at Earth's surface is used by all ecosystems, with the majority being absorbed as heat or reflected.
- Competition for sunlight is not the main issue; water, nutrients, and land are more critical limiting factors for both agriculture and solar power.
- Solar farms can be designed to coexist with agriculture (agrivoltaics) or built on degraded land to minimize environmental impact.
- Wind and wave energy are indirect forms of solar power, and fossil fuels represent stored ancient solar energy.
- Future challenges in solar energy use will revolve around land, water, and resource competition, not sunlight scarcity.