Comment on Why can't countries with vast deserts make solar farms to power the world?
Valmond@lemmy.world 1 week agoI just know that was the future french/european plan some 15 years ago.
Comment on Why can't countries with vast deserts make solar farms to power the world?
Valmond@lemmy.world 1 week agoI just know that was the future french/european plan some 15 years ago.
philpo@feddit.org 1 week ago
Yeah, but by now the much lower cost and higher efficiency of panels vs. the drawbacks of the location has shifted the cost/benefit ratio quite a bit.
It’s far cheaper to build the panels where the energy is needed and compensate for bad weather by building more panels (and other sources) instead of having the drawbacks of the north african location. Solar panels in the desert are an issue - as noted here multiple times, sand does not mix well with panels, neither does too much heat. Solar reflector plants have never really taken off due to various issues as well. And transport remains an issue by itself and so does political stability in these countries.