Sahara desert project aims to power half the world by 2050

[^_^ 5,021]

(PhysOrg.com) -- A joint project by universities in Algeria and Japan is planning to turn the Sahara desert, the largest desert in the world, into a breeding ground for solar power plants that could supply half the world’s electrical energy requirements by 2050.

The Sahara Solar Breeder Project aims to begin by building a silicon manufacturing plant in the desert to transform silica in the sand into silicon of sufficiently high quality for use in solar panels. Solar power plants will be constructed using the solar panels, and some of the electricity generated will supply the energy needed to build more silicon plants to produce more solar panels, to produce more electricity.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-12-sahara-aims-power-world.html

[luckytxn 2,263]

Good luck but that way to generate electricity is very inefficient.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

This is in addition to the half a trillion DeserTec project that the Europeans have underway? It's really cool stuff. Look at the stats - it's amazing that harvesting just a tiny fraction of the energy the sun lavishes on us would provide us with all the energy we'd ever need.

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This is in addition to the half a trillion DeserTec project that the Europeans have underway?

Yes.

Nice image. Australia looks ripe for colonization (again). Saharan Africa, too, but I hear Australia is way nicer.

Edited December 2, 2010 by \

[luckytxn 2,263]

Yes.

Nice image. Australia looks ripe for colonization (again). Saharan Africa, too, but I hear Australia is way nicer.

China owns Aussie land now so better to look elsewhere closer to home.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Now if only we could get lunar power

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I'm wary of such large scale ideas. It would be more efficient and convenient for consumers to get most of their energy locally, and for many parts of the world, there is enough sunlight to provide most of their energy needs.

[^_^ 5,021]

I'm wary of such large scale ideas.

Of course you are. If it were up to you, all there would be is hugely inefficient mom n pop solar plants.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I'm wary of such large scale ideas. It would be more efficient and convenient for consumers to get most of their energy locally, and for many parts of the world, there is enough sunlight to provide most of their energy needs.

Something like this is all about protecting the business interests in energy.... You'd still have to have a distributor, which is the point. You'd still being paying a pretty penny to a company to provide you with energy...

Guess who this targets the most? The poor.....

The wealthy/upper middle class will be able to buy their own solar panels to provide independent power to their homes, while the poor will have to pay a monthly fee still...

[The_Dude 1,142]

(PhysOrg.com) -- A joint project by universities in Algeria and Japan is planning to turn the Sahara desert, the largest desert in the world, into a breeding ground for solar power plants that could supply half the world’s electrical energy requirements by 2050.

The Sahara Solar Breeder Project aims to begin by building a silicon manufacturing plant in the desert to transform silica in the sand into silicon of sufficiently high quality for use in solar panels. Solar power plants will be constructed using the solar panels, and some of the electricity generated will supply the energy needed to build more silicon plants to produce more solar panels, to produce more electricity.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-12-sahara-aims-power-world.html

Thats quite an ambitious project, but thats what you need in the research world.

Good luck but that way to generate electricity is very inefficient.

I have read that too, but the fact is, we really need to start pushing more research and more resources towards developing alternatives to oil.

Yes.

Nice image. Australia looks ripe for colonization (again). Saharan Africa, too, but I hear Australia is way nicer.

Australia isn't going to run on douchebag power, might as well use them for something useful.

China owns Aussie land now so better to look elsewhere closer to home.

China owns the rights to a 49% stake in the minerals in most of their ground, but not the land itself.

I'm wary of such large scale ideas. It would be more efficient and convenient for consumers to get most of their energy locally, and for many parts of the world, there is enough sunlight to provide most of their energy needs.

So you want us all to live in hippy communes and grow our own food and produce our own energy? You dirty hippy, go eat your granola and have your drum circle, but don't make me go get my hippie stick.....

Something like this is all about protecting the business interests in energy.... You'd still have to have a distributor, which is the point. You'd still being paying a pretty penny to a company to provide you with energy...

Guess who this targets the most? The poor.....

The wealthy/upper middle class will be able to buy their own solar panels to provide independent power to their homes, while the poor will have to pay a monthly fee still...

With a centralized output like these two programs, it does appear that OPEC will simply be replaced with another cartel. I think this is something that should be addressed at some point before any sort of institutional money is pledged.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

So you want us all to live in hippy communes and grow our own food and produce our own energy? You dirty hippy, go eat your granola and have your drum circle, but don't make me go get my hippie stick.....

I'm scratching you off my patchouli oil for Christmas gift list.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I'm scratching you off my patchouli oil for Christmas gift list.

Thank you. I don't want to smell like a hippy. God that smell is pungent, and homicide inducing when you are inundated with it.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Thank you. I don't want to smell like a hippy. God that smell is pungent, and homicide inducing when you are inundated with it.

I agree. I remember the first few times I smelled it and thought for sure the person had just smoked a doobie. I felt an urge to throw them into a car wash bay and spray them down.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I agree. I remember the first few times I smelled it and thought for sure the person had just smoked a doobie. I felt an urge to throw them into a car wash bay and spray them down.

That is what we should do with all hippies. You go first hippy

[one...two...tree 2,762]

That is what we should do with all hippies. You go first hippy

It'd wash away my essence.