Why don't we cover the desert with solar panels?

What this episode covers

Stretching over roughly nine million square kilometers and with sands reaching temperatures of up to 80° Celsius, the Sahara Desert receives about 22 million terawatt hours of energy from the Sun every year. That's well over 100 times more energy than humanity consumes annually. So, could covering the desert with solar panels solve our energy problems? Dan Kwartler digs into the possibility. [Directed by Christoph Sarow, AIM Creative Studios, narrated by Jack Cutmore-Scott, music by André Aires]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of TED Tech?

This episode is 6 minutes long.

When was this TED Tech episode published?

This episode was published on February 4, 2022.

What is this episode about?

Stretching over roughly nine million square kilometers and with sands reaching temperatures of up to 80° Celsius, the Sahara Desert receives about 22 million terawatt hours of energy from the Sun every year. That's well over 100 times more energy...

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