Latest news on desert solar power generation

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.

How many kilowatts will China's desert solar project have?

The entire 85 billion yuan ($12.28 billion) project will have a total installed capacity of 13 million kilowatts. China’s government launched its desert renewable energy project at the end of 2021, and it has big plans – in total, it intends to install 100 GW of solar and wind capacity in arid areas that cover 19 provinces.

Can solar power China's deserts?

The first of many solar and wind projects in China’s deserts is now online, and it’s capable of powering 1.5 million households. This first phase of this solar and wind project is in the Tengger Desert, which lies on the southern edge of the Gobi Desert.

What is the Tengger Desert solar project?

This first phase of this solar and wind project is in the Tengger Desert, which lies on the southern edge of the Gobi Desert. It has an installed capacity of 1 million kilowatts, and it’s expected to generate 1.8 billion kilowatt-hours each year, according to its operating company, China Energy.

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)