Could large solar farms in the Sahara Desert redistribute solar power?

Large solar farms in the Sahara Desert could redistribute solar power generation potential locally as well as globally through disturbance of large-scale atmospheric teleconnections, according to simulations with an Earth system model.

Why do desert areas need a photovoltaic system?

Desert areas benefit from high irradiation levels , and the photovoltaics power potential in these areas exceeds 2100 kWh/kWp . This means only a small area of desert covered by PV modules can potentially cover today's world's need for electricity , and this drives the major installation market to these areas .

Are desert areas suitable for building photovoltaic power stations?

As is shown in Fig. S1, most desert areas are suitable for building photovoltaic power stations when considering three factors: slope, distance from fresh water resources, and solar irradiation, especially deserts in Australia and Africa.

Are solar panels used in desert areas worldwide?

We assume that solar panels are laid in desert areas worldwide with 20% land utilization and 15% photovoltaic conversion efficiency (14) and calculate the annual power generation under different cleaning frequencies for each desert solar farm.

Does PV power station deployment promote desert greening in China?

In general, the desert greening (with a significant increase in vegetation) in China from PV power station deployment is largely promoted by the policy-driven Photovoltaic Desert Control Projects. However, the human activities effects on vegetation are often superimposed on the long-term climate-driven variations.

Can a desert solar park power a transcontinental power network?

In China, the Tengger Desert Solar Park with a solar generation capacity of 1.5 GW and an area of 43 square kilometers could power over 1,800,000 people (13). In this research, we conceptualize a desert PV-based power network for transcontinental power interconnection.