Sahara covered with solar panels: The biggest mistake in history and 173 TWh we have lost Econews D. García 06/30/2024
Environmentalists, and this is something you already know, are at odds with two different positions: some defend the implementation of renewable energies on a large scale, while others condemn the use of natural ecosystems for this purpose. Perhaps both are right, as one of the biggest mistakes of mankind has shown us. The idea was to cover the Sahara with solar panels, but we ended up losing 173 TWh and now only an empty, dark desert remains.......Why don’t we cover the Sahara with solar panels? It is not as simple as it seems......It has been rather encouraging to embrace the usability of the Sahara desert to generate renewable power for the world through the installation of solar panels. But we can now know for sure that if the attempted project were carried out, it would have devastating ramifications for the climate on our planet. Constructing solar panels across the largest desert in the world, better known as the Sahara desert, was initially proposed in the early 2000s. The premise was simple: the Sahara also benefits from high levels of irradiationand, therefore, might facilitate the deployment of utility-scale solar farms. It was estimated that to adequately provide cover for only one percent of the population, a huge amount of money would be required. It only takes a mere 2% of the Sahara desert to produce enough electricity to complement the world’s current consumption rates regarding solar panels. The experts were very clear: the biggest mistake in history had to be stopped The discoveries accomplished showed negative implications for the advancement of the Sahara solar project, which had steadily increased in the years prior to the undertaking of the study. The other plans by international consortia, like the Desertec Industrial Initiative, had been in existence and led to proposals for large solar farms in the Sahara to export electricity to Europe and other places. However, the conclusions made in the study addressed aspects that highlighted the centrality of the global climate system as interconnected. Thus, the paper demonstrated that even if promoting the use of renewable energy resources is a purely noble cause, it is vital to understand the social implications of such activities and make necessary adjustments in strategy and approach. What experts found: Why covering the Sahara with solar panels is not a good idea......read on https://www.ecoticias.com/en/