Can people live under photovoltaic panels? Is photovoltaic power generation harmful to the human body?

The question of whether people can live under photovoltaic panels, and whether photovoltaic power generation has radiation, has been addressed in an article I wrote six months ago. The comments section was lively, with many supporting data points. However, many readers still ask why cities don't install them, but rural areas do, and why the government doesn't install them. As a self-media account, I've seen some non-photovoltaic industry self-media accounts spreading anxiety and misinformation for traffic, such as "nothing grows under photovoltaic panels," "photovoltaic power generation causes cancer," and "people can't live under photovoltaic panels." Such rumors, created by those who don't understand, have a profound negative impact on the industry. Developers should deeply understand this (how many readers have had to explain this? Share in the comments section).

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I. Does the photovoltaic system have radiation? Which radiation is harmful to the human body?

First, it's important to clarify that all electrical equipment produces some electromagnetic radiation during operation, including photovoltaic power generation systems. However, the intensity of this radiation is far below the national safety standards.

Radiation can be divided into two categories: ionizing radiation, such as X-rays and γ-rays, which can damage the cellular structure of organisms and are harmful to the human body;

and non-ionizing radiation, such as visible light, infrared light, and radio waves, which do not have enough energy to break atomic bonds and therefore cause almost no harm to the human body.

Photovoltaic components themselves do not emit radiation; they only convert sunlight into electricity. The "radiation" possibly involved in photovoltaic systems mainly comes from the extremely low-frequency electromagnetic waves generated by inverters and combiner boxes during operation. This radiation level is comparable to that of common household appliances (such as refrigerators, air conditioners, and Wi-Fi routers) and is well within national electromagnetic compatibility standards.

The WHO and relevant agencies in various countries have established safety standards for the effects of electromagnetic radiation on the human body.

International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) standard: For a 50 Hz power frequency electric field, the recommended exposure limit is 5000 V/m (electric field strength). For a power frequency magnetic field, the recommended exposure limit is 100 µT (magnetic flux density).

China's electromagnetic radiation standard: According to GB 8702-2014 "Regulations on Electromagnetic Radiation Protection," the limit for 50 Hz electric field strength in public environments is 4000 V/m, and the limit for magnetic field strength is 100 µT.

II. Official Debunking of Rumors

Some readers say that the data I previously provided lacks official debunking from authoritative departments.

For those who have doubts, you can search the official website of the National Energy Administration; it contains a "Frequently Asked Questions about Household Photovoltaic Power Generation" section.

Let's look at the official debunking by the Central Cyberspace Administration of China on April 23, 2025:

Misconception: Solar panels release harmful electromagnetic radiation that is harmful to the human body?

Truth: This statement is completely without scientific basis. The core technology of solar panels is based on the photovoltaic effect, directly converting sunlight into electricity through semiconductor materials (such as silicon). This process produces non-ionizing radiation, completely different from ionizing radiation such as X-rays and nuclear radiation; it does not damage DNA and is not carcinogenic.

  Even when the inverter converts DC to AC, it only produces extremely low levels of electromagnetic radiation. The country has strict standards for the electromagnetic compatibility of photovoltaic inverters, and the intensity of this radiation is far lower than that of general household appliances or communication equipment. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a public magnetic field exposure limit of 100μT (μT: ‌ microtesla ‌ abbreviation, is the unit of magnetic flux density), and the electromagnetic radiation produced by photovoltaic systems during operation is far below this standard and will not affect human health.

III. Is it really true that nothing grows under photovoltaic panels?

The claim that "nothing grows under photovoltaic panels" is another common misconception. In some rural areas, the poor growth of corn under some photovoltaic streetlights has been mistakenly attributed to "photovoltaic radiation causing land infertility." However, this is not the case.

In Hunan and other places, for example, the reason why much corn "doesn't grow well" is that the photovoltaic streetlights shine for too long. As a short-day plant, corn is suitable for daily sunlight exposure of 8-12 hours; more than 14 hours inhibits growth. Streetlights often stay on all night, disrupting the normal circadian rhythm of corn. Similar problems would occur even without photovoltaics, simply with lights.

More importantly, numerous "agricultural photovoltaic integration" projects have already proven that not only can grass grow under photovoltaic panels, but crops and poultry can also be grown, achieving a win-win situation of "power generation on the panels and farming under the panels." For example, photovoltaic + agricultural projects in Hebei, Shandong, and Jiangsu have already cultivated okra, melons and fruits, and medicinal materials, achieving very good economic and ecological benefits. It's those who don't understand and haven't conducted scientific research who plant sun-loving plants under photovoltaic panels, going against the rules, and the results are predictable.

 

IV. Rumor-mongering may face official penalties

In April 2024, the official WeChat account of the Yizhang County Public Security Bureau in Chenzhou, Hunan Province, issued a police report on the "Special Campaign to Combat and Investigate Online Rumors," which debunked a rumor about photovoltaic radiation.

According to the report, recently, netizen Zhang Moumou, due to a bad mood, posted false information on a short video platform stating that "photovoltaic power generation has radiation, nothing grows within a radius of ten kilometers, the entire village is uninhabitable, and even the entire town needs to be relocated." This video received 108 likes, 55 comments, 13 collections, and 22 reposts, with 34,000 views, causing social panic and having a negative impact on society. Currently, Zhang Moumou, the suspect, has been administratively punished by the Baishidu Police Station of Yizhang County Public Security Bureau for disrupting social order by fabricating facts.