Fraction of Saharan Sun Could Power All of Europe
August 19, 2008
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The biggest obstacle to most forms of renewable energy has always been that the source, usually the sun or the wind, is intermittent and unreliable, limiting its ability to help fight global warming. But the hot sun of the Sahara desert is one of the most reliable sources around and has the potential to provide vast amounts of energy to help people cut their carbon footprint.
Photovoltaic cells or solar thermal energy would be much more efficient with the strong Saharan sun than at existing plants in Europe or America. Scientists estimate that less than 1% of sunlight that lands on the Saharan desert could power all of Europe, and help them reach their goals for reducing their carbon footprint.
However, that is still easier said than done. While the sun’s rays are reliable in the Sahara, there are other obstacles, namely the lack of infrastructure for building the solar plants and transmitting the power, as well as the distance from the source of the energy to its use in Europe.
Scientists estimate that it would cost over $500 billion and would not be complete until 2050 at the earliest. But this would surely have a huge impact on global warming by cutting Europe’s carbon footprint. As well, if the energy could be stored and transmitted efficiently, it could help power other areas of the world too, including China and India.
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