Not too far removed from the Paris climate deal, solar energy and financing such projects are a hot topic. How can civilization move away from burning fossil fuels and destroying the atmosphere to using more efficient forms of energy? Perhaps capturing energy where the sun shines brightest: the Sahara desert.
Is it Possible?
Gerhard Knies is the co-founder of TREC, a group of experts who research sustainable energy. Knies aimed to remove political nonsense from the discussion and to use science to see if the project was even possible, and if so, was financing such a solar project worth the investment? He and his team concluded that it was indeed possible and formed the Desertec Initiative to explore sun-rich deserts as potential locations for the project.
Why the Sahara?
According to Tony Patt, a professor of climate policy, the Sahara might be the best spot because it “is so big that if there is cloudy weather, it's localized, and with thermal storage, it can provide absolutely reliable power.” Clouds can disrupt the collection of solar energy, so the vast Sahara is a great place to lay down solar panels the sun can reach.
The Problem
Scientists say it is a viable project, investors say financing is not the problem and climate experts say the Sahara is a great location—so what is the hold up? A BBC article covers the political conflict that arises with such a project. According to Patt, “There are a lot of political battles that need to take place to figure out where we're going to build the infrastructure, how it's going to get paid for. And perhaps more critically, how and when we're going to turn off the old infrastructure.”
African countries must also see a cut of the energy pie as “only around 30 percent of sub-Saharan Africans have access to electricity.” As you can see, there is a lot that still needs to be figured out, so it is less of a question of “if,” but of how this solar project can come into fruition.
Danny Coleman is a renewable energy writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Elements Capital Group. Follow on Twitter.