Why don’t we cover the desert with solar panels? - Dan Kwartler

Summary by Krater

This video explores the potential and challenges of using solar energy in deserts, discussing how large solar farms and concentrated solar power plants could power the world.

From the video

Answers: Can we power the world with solar panels in the desert?

• solar energy in deserts
• solar panel efficiency
• concentrated solar power
• solar farm environmental impact

What it concludes

• Solar panels can only interact with certain wavelengths of light, making it impossible to convert over half the sunlight they receive.
• Anti-reflective coatings and patterns on panel surfaces have increased commercial solar panel efficiency from the low teens to 25%, with experimental models reaching up to 47%.
• Solar has gotten 89% cheaper over the last decade due in part to global supply chains for other technologies.
• Solar power is the cheapest source of electricity on Earth.
• Concentrated solar power plants like Noor in Morocco can continue producing electricity past sunset by using mirrors to heat materials that cool off slowly.