Eco Factor: Solar installations in large deserts could supply a quarter of our energy needs by 2050.
A study conducted by Greenpeace, European Solar Thermal Electricity Association (ESTELA) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) has resulted in a 28-page report, which states that deserts around the world have the potential to generate up to a quarter of the world’s electricity by 2050. The study is based on the use of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology, which is suited to hot, cloudless regions, such as the Sahara or Middle East.
The groups believe that to achieve the task, installations have already begun with the largest CSP plants being developed in southern Spain and California and recently news surfaced that the Australian government is also planning a CSP solar plant which would be the largest in the world when completed. According to the report, the total output of these systems by the end of 2050 would be around 1,500GW, which is approximately 25% of the world’s energy needs.
These plants, which use an array of mirrors to enhance sunlight and temperature to about 1,000 Celsius to provide energy, would also create hundreds of thousands of jobs all over the world. Most importantly, with the selling cost of electricity already fixed and more than the cost of conventional electricity, it is destined to attract investments too.
Via: Reuters
