Desert Solar Power News

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.

Are solar farms coming to Desert Center?

Solar farms started here over a decade ago with multiple projects arriving after the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, said Mulvaney, the San Jose State University professor who has researched solar projects on BLM lands in the Southwest. Those projects, while still in view, are miles away from Desert Center.

Can large-scale solar farms influence atmospheric circulation in the Sahara Desert?

Our Earth system model simulations show that the envisioned large-scale solar farms in the Sahara Desert, if covering 20% or more of the area, can significantly influence atmospheric circulation and further induce cloud fraction and RSDS changes (summarized in Fig. 7) across other regions and seasons.

Is concentrated solar power making a comeback?

Concentrated solar power is an old technology making a comeback. Here's how it works The 100MW Cerro Dominador CSP plant in the Atacama Desert, Chile. (Getty Images: John Moore)

Are solar projects threatening local wells?

Local wells in the area have gone dry since the construction of multiple utility-scale solar projects near Desert Center—threatening the only water source for hundreds of people and a handful of local businesses.

Are solar farms causing inequal distribution of solar potential?

Although the impacts are modest on a global or continental scale, the potential inequalities resulting from the disturbance of hypothetical Sahara solar farms can still manifest in the unequal distribution of solar potential.