What If We Covered The Sahara Desert With Solar Panels Video

[Vmedvil2]

This is a video about covering the Sahara Desert with solar panels, I found this interesting in the fact that it could power the entire human species.

 

[LaurieAG]

Power generation and transmission/distribution have different constraints.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_power_transmission#Losses

Quote

 

Transmission and distribution losses in the United States were estimated at 6.6% in 1997,[26] 6.5% in 2007[26] and 5% from 2013 to 2019.[27] In general, losses are estimated from the discrepancy between power produced (as reported by power plants) and power sold to the end customers; the difference between what is produced and what is consumed constitute transmission and distribution losses, assuming no utility theft occurs.

As of 1980, the longest cost-effective distance for direct-current transmission was determined to be 7,000 kilometres (4,300 miles). For alternating current it was 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles), though all transmission lines in use today are substantially shorter than this.[21]

 

 

[gnezdavrukavah]

Reflecting on this idea three years later, it's fascinating to see how discussions around renewable energy have evolved. The notion of covering the Sahara Desert with solar panels still sparks intrigue and imagination, but now we can also assess how this concept has progressed over time.
Three years have likely seen advancements in solar panel technology, making them more efficient and cost-effective. Companies like solar panels ireland have likely continued their research and development efforts, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in solar energy generation.

Edited March 1 by gnezdavrukavah

[LaurieAG]

Three years hasn't made any major advancements in transmission technology which is still the main problem.

[OceanBreeze]

On 7/10/2021 at 7:44 AM, Vmedvil2 said:

This is a video about covering the Sahara Desert with solar panels, I found this interesting in the fact that it could power the entire human species.

 

 

Why go to the trouble of converting all the silicon in sand into Solar Panels, when you can use the sand directly to generate and store solar power?

This is exactly what Polar Night Energy, a Finnish research company has done by building and installing the world’s first functional sand battery.

It functions by heating 100 tonnes of sand using electricity produced by solar or wind energy.

The core of this Company’s solution is their patented high-temperature, large-scale heat storage; the battery can store sustainably generated heat for extended periods of time.

 

But that is just the beginning of the revival of this old technology, known as Concentrated Solar Power.

TuNur, a small company based in the UK, has applied to the Tunisian Government to  begin construction of a 4.5GW concentrated solar power (CSP) project in the Sahara Desert.

Rather than convert all this sand into solar panels, at great expense, they plan to use mirrors or lenses to concentrate the sun’s energy to heat the sand , which naturally stores the heat, which is then used to heat a fluid, which then generates steam to drive  turbines and produce electricity. Sand is a natural thermal storage material, which allows for the production of electricity even when the sun is not shining.

 

TuNur has apparently give a lot of thought to the power distribution as well: The energy generated will be transported via underground cables to Italy, Malta and France, providing Europe with a new, carbon-free, alternative baseload power source.

However, this is a project that is still in early stages of being implemented, and many things can go wrong before they have a successful completion.