[mech987]

Is PV at the same land use as coal currently on a per-watt basis or on a total land use basis?

[ZeroGravitas]

They link to this, which has a table at the top:

https://ourworldindata.org/land-use-per-energy-source

I'd assume coal uses much more land in absolute terms, since it's what 50% of global electricity vs 3-5% for solar at the moment.

[ncmncm]

Since solar may use up exactly zero acres, its watts per acre may be infinite. Wind, also, coexists easily with other uses.

Solar farms are often sited, stupidly, in deserts, not because it is a good idea, but because ignorant investors think it is a good idea.

[QuarterReptile]

>Solar farms are often sited, stupidly, in deserts, not because it is a good idea, but because ignorant investors think it is a good idea.

Perhaps indulge our ignorance about deserts for a moment?

[ncmncm]

Deserts are hot and dusty. Efficiency falls quickly as temperature rises, and more as dust accumulates. Panels degrade exponentially faster as peak temperature increases. (Precisely: each fixed increase in temperature doubles rate of degradation.)

Siting panels on water and on farmland reduces operating temperature. Mounting vertically, in fence-rows, keeps off dust, collects more during morning and afternoon demand peaks, aids convective cooling, and protects crops from harshest afternoon sun.