Sahara Solar Breeder Project Aims to Power Half the World by 2050

Sahara Solar Breeder Project Aims to Power Half the World by 2050

www.good.is

Here's the plan: Build manufacturing plants around the Sahara Desert that will extract the silica from the plentiful sand, and use it to make photovoltaic solar panels. The first solar panels, in turn, will be used to build some initial solar power plants, the energy from which will be used to power more silicon manufacturing plants—or to "breed" more solar power plants—which will provide more clean energy to manufacture more PV panels, which can power more silicon plants, and on and on and on.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Absolutely brilliant!

Instead of fighting over the blood of the earth (oil), use the natural resources of the earth to help us build a truly sustainable future!

While we spend billions of our money on wars and claiming we cannot build a big enough rocket...

Japanese scientists are creating real solutions to the world's energy needs and exploring the galaxy on a shoe-string budget which amounts to about 5 dollars per Japanese citizen.

www.good.is
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by pianopraze


This would be a tremendous project!

Now, on another note, I wonder what the environmental impact of huge solar panels in the Sahara Desert would be? Global warming because it no longer reflects that heat back to space? Global cooling because it would lower the temperature of the desert? Climate shifts because it would change atmospheric heating patterns?

I'm not saying it is a bad idea, I just wonder what all the effects would be. There is no such thing as "renewable" energy. All energy comes from the sun, and there is a finite amount of it!

reply to post by getreadyalready


Here is a picture of a solar power station:


While and interesting thought, the energy is not reflected back into the atmosphere. The solar reflectors are aimed at a central unit. Solar energy is about as infinate as it comes.... get back to me in a few million years when the sun's energy is running out and we'll talk...



Oh, btw here is a video from the article.

reply to post by pianopraze


I like it. Good find!
S & F

reply to post by pianopraze


LOL! I agree it is a great project, but my concerns are with all "reneweable" energy sources. If we harness this energy and convert it to electrical energy, then we have removed it from the environment (assuming it would have normally impacted the desert in the form of light and heat) OR we have added it to the environment (assuming it would have normally been reflected from the desert back into space.)

So, we have either added or removed energy to a closed system environment (Earth) and therefore we will have unforeseeable repercussions.

Currently we are researching and using tidal energy generators, wind energy generators, wave action energy generators, solar energy generators, geothermal energy generators, and fossil fuel energy generators. Each of these possible solutions has repercussions.

If we harness the wind, what happens to meteorology around the world?
If we harness the tides, what happens to the oceans around the world?
If we harness the sun, what happens to all other systems? etc. etc. etc. etc.

The way I see it, there are 2 sources of energy in the Universe. Radiation from Stars, and Gravity from Massive bodies. Here on Earth we use can observe 1. Geothermal and Tidal energies as a result of gravity, and we can observe 2. fossil fuels (from ancient solar processes), meteorlogical systems, solar energy and wave action as a result of the sun's radiation heating our atmosphere and surface.

The cross section of Earth that receives solar energy is always the same, and therefore the total amount of energy received is finite. We are supplementing our energy demands by burning ancient reserves of biological growth in the form of fossil fuels, but once that reserve is gone, we will have a limited amount of daily solar rationing! That solar rationing can either drive weather, new biological growth, and heating of the surface......or it can drive electricity. There will come a time when it can't do both, and according to some estimates our need for energy could surpass all the sun has to offer by the year 2130!

I'd love to think that this project will work. It could be a really important step for humanity. Its just that humanity doesn't work like that. We can be certain that, if the CIA haven't already figured out how to prevent this project from succeeding, they're working on it.

reply to post by Bunken Drum


Solar technology is becoming increasingly more efficient and cheaper. Some areas of the world and our nation can already unplug from the system. And with all electric cars already on the market and more coming we can give a big middle finger to the oil mafia cartels.

So even if the CIA attempts to undrmine this and other projects, there is a change coming.

Change is in the air, so to speak...

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by pianopraze

 

Now, on another note, I wonder what the environmental impact of huge solar panels in the Sahara Desert would be? Global warming because it no longer reflects that heat back to space? Global cooling because it would lower the temperature of the desert? Climate shifts because it would change atmospheric heating patterns?

I'm not saying it is a bad idea, I just wonder what all the effects would be. There is no such thing as "renewable" energy. All energy comes from the sun, and there is a finite amount of it!

That's an interesting point.
But I think that even with the construction of all the solar panels needed for humanity's needs, which would be huge in human terms, it would not represent a big percentage on the amount of energy received constantly from the Sun.
Off course, there's still an impact even if it's minute.

But at the rate that we could build those things, we'd had time to make all the readings and analysis needed....

Good thread! S&F.

reply to post by pianoprazeI hope you're right. Its just that its going to take a monumentally stupendous feat of geopolitical maneuvering to get the likes of Algeria, Libya, Chad, The Sudan et al. to accept US$ for the products of their sunshine. Er... oh dear. What'd happen if the global energy market switched away from the US$?

All those danged greenbacked chickens would have nowhere else to go than home to roost. Inflation?

The USA cant even feed its population without running a massive Trade Deficit that ensures that the 2000 to 1 calorie ratio of energy input to American consumer consumption is maintained. What are y'all gonna do when South American cattle farmers say, "No Senor. China offers us a better deal.", invade them? How are y'all going to afford that when your govt already owes about $180,000/every single US citizen? Have you got that money to cough up? Not without crippling your hopes of "The American Dream" I'll bet.

3 meals from anarchy... Hey, have you got a gun? Your neighbours have...

You get it now why the CIA will not allow this eminently sensible project to succeed, right? Think a bit further. If you knew that such a monster of civil disorder couldn't be avoided unless you & your rich cronies drastically cut their income, what would you do? Smile benificently & philanthropically hand over your privileged lifestyle, or hand over a little to get politicians in power to train the populace to accept paramilitary law enforcement, so that when its needed to make sure you escape with your loot, its already in place? Now we're getting to the real deal...

reply to post by Bunken Drum


The lies are thick on all sides. Europe has already been tricked into the European union. They are working on the America and Asian versions now... this is what the Trilateral commission is all about.

Before you throw stones realize that what we are caught up in is bigger than nations now. Nationalism is an enemy which they will fight at all costs. Their goal is world domination and they are not about to let anyone or any nation stand in their way.

I wish our enemies were as small as you paint them.

Using solar parabolic trough you can heat oil and use existing vacuum water distillation technology to turn salt water to fresh water.
en.wikipedia.org...
www.oas.org...

Done right the vacuum water distillation can use waste heat after power has been generated.
This type co-gen unit would be the most cost efficient and if the solar collection parabolic troughs are mounted 10 foot or higher in the air you could use the area under the solar troughs for growing crops.

There is no reason why the Sahara desert could not be both a solar power field and cropland.
and this also applies to any desert with brackish water and solar, The Calif desert is a prime example.