{"id":2718,"date":"2026-04-13T18:18:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T16:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orbisterrarum.es\/?p=2718"},"modified":"2026-10-26T18:03:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T17:03:39","slug":"especificaciones-tecnicas-para-estudios-geofisicos-en-plantas-fotovoltaicas-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orbisterrarum.es\/en\/especificaciones-tecnicas-para-estudios-geofisicos-en-plantas-fotovoltaicas-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Technical Specifications for Geophysical Studies in Photovoltaic Plants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Geophysics in Solar Plants<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photovoltaic plants are facilities that normally occupy large land areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, geological and geotechnical conditions may vary within the same plant. For this reason, it is necessary to properly design the geophysical campaign to reduce geological uncertainties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This document aims to detail the applications of electrical methods and other geophysical methodologies in order to standardize the number of tests to be carried out within a reconnaissance campaign. Without these methodologies, the number of direct investigations would be higher, resulting in additional cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article provides recommendations based on the extensive experience of the Applied Geophysics Department at Orbis Terrarum in geophysical studies for photovoltaic plants on five continents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Continue reading or download here<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR ELECTRICAL METHODS IN GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY REQUESTS FOR NEW PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Joaqu\u00cdn Dorronsoro & Christian Merino <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applied Geophysics Department. Orbis Terrarum Projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RESUME<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photovoltaic plants are facilities that typically cover large areas of land. This often leads to varying geological and geotechnical conditions within the same site. Consequently, a properly designed geophysical campaign is essential to reduce geological uncertainty.\n\nFor this reason, this document details the applications of electrical methods and other geophysical techniques, aiming to standardize the number of tests required in a field investigation campaign. Without these methodologies, the number of direct intrusive investigations would need to be higher, leading to increased campaign costs.\n\nThis article provides recommendations based on the extensive experience of Orbis Terrarum\u2019s Applied Geophysics Department in conducting geophysical surveys for solar PV projects across all five continents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Words:<\/strong> Solar PV plants, renewable energy, geophysics, electrical methods, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), soil corrosivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RESUME <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photovoltaic plants are facilities that typically occupy a large area of land. This can result in geological and geotechnical conditions changing within the same plant. For this reason, a proper design of the geophysical campaign is essential to reduce geological uncertainties. Thus, the aim is to detail the applications of electrical methods and other geophysical methodologies in order to standardise the number of investigations to be carried out within a geophysical campaign. In this sense, without the use of these methodologies, the number of direct investigations would be higher and, consequently, an additional cost overrun would be incurred during the campaign. This article provides recommendations based on the extensive experience of the Applied Geophysics Department of Orbis Terrarum in geophysical studies for photovoltaic plants across all continents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. INTRODUCTION<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This document has been prepared to recommend and standardize the proper methodology for designing a geophysical investigation campaign for new photovoltaic plants. These recommendations are based on: (1) the experience of the Applied Geophysics Department of Orbis Terrarum (www.orbisgeofisica.com<\/a>), (2) in the technical specifications published by Puell y L\u00f3pez<\/a> (2021<\/a>) for the request of a geological-geotechnical study in photovoltaic power plants (www.orbisterrarum.es<\/a>), and (3) a track record of research across more than 500 solar plants worldwide and over 50 GW constructed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost and schedule optimization is a key factor in the proposed investigation campaigns. A comprehensive geophysical study is always required alongside a solar PV project to provide reliable design data, thereby mitigating long-term risks and operational issues over the plant's lifespan. Puell y L\u00f3pez<\/a> (2021<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The applications of electrical methods for a geophysical survey complementary to the geotechnical investigation should focus on the following aspects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n