Wind and solar farms are known to have localized effects on heat, humidity, and other factors that can be beneficial - or harmful - to the regions in which they are located. A new climate model shows that massive wind and solar installations in the Sahara Desert and neighboring Sahel could increase local temperature, rainfall and vegetation. In general, according to the researchers, the consequences of placing such farms will benefit the region.
The study, published in the journal Science, is one of the first to simulate the climate effects of wind and solar installations and how vegetation responds to changes in heat and rainfall, says lead author Yang Li of the University of Illinois.
Greening the Sahara
Sugar was chosen for the new study for several reasons. First, it is the largest desert in the world. It is also sparsely populated, highly sensitive to soil changes, located in Africa, close to Europe and the Middle East, which have large and growing energy needs.
The wind and solar farm models modeled in the study will cover over 9 million square kilometers and, on average, produce about 3 terawatts and 79 terawatts of electricity, respectively.
“In 2017, the world's energy demand was only 18 terawatts, so there is obviously more energy here than the world needs,” says Lee. The placement of wind farms in the desert, according to the model, should cause a regional rise in near-surface temperature with larger variations in minimum temperatures than maximum temperatures. This warming, in turn, will lead to an increase in vegetation cover, which will also be beneficial.
Promotional video:
Ilya Khel
