Photovoltaic power generation and energy storage in the western desert

Could large solar farms in the Sahara Desert redistribute solar power?

Large solar farms in the Sahara Desert could redistribute solar power generation potential locally as well as globally through disturbance of large-scale atmospheric teleconnections, according to simulations with an Earth system model.

Does a PV power plant in the desert have a heating effect?

The PV power plant in the desert has a heating effect on the ambient temperature during the day, but the ambient temperature is not a distinct change at night (Broadbent et al., 2019). The characteristic of heating effect is not only presented daily change.

Why do desert areas need a photovoltaic system?

Desert areas benefit from high irradiation levels , and the photovoltaics power potential in these areas exceeds 2100 kWh/kWp . This means only a small area of desert covered by PV modules can potentially cover today's world's need for electricity , and this drives the major installation market to these areas . ... ...

Are desert areas suitable for building photovoltaic power stations?

As is shown in Fig. S1, most desert areas are suitable for building photovoltaic power stations when considering three factors: slope, distance from fresh water resources, and solar irradiation, especially deserts in Australia and Africa.

Can a desert solar park power a transcontinental power network?

In China, the Tengger Desert Solar Park with a solar generation capacity of 1.5 GW and an area of 43 square kilometers could power over 1,800,000 people (13). In this research, we conceptualize a desert PV-based power network for transcontinental power interconnection.

Does PV power station deployment affect desert vegetation?

Previous remote sensing studies of a few PV power stations have demonstrated that the PV power station deployment does not significantly alter desert vegetation (Edalat and Stephen, 2017; Potter, 2016).