“Every day, the sands of the Sahara Desert reach temperatures up to 80° Celsius. Stretching over roughly nine million square kilometers, this massive 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 for good?”
Solar panel technologies are more efficient than ever, they’re less expensive than they were a decade ago, and they’ve been set up at a small scale in deserts around the world. Why don’t we cover the desert with solar panels?
Learn about the issues, alternatives, and opportunities in this TED-Ed lesson by Dan Kwartler, directed by Christoph Sarow of AIM Creative Studios.
Then watch these related videos about solar power next:
• How do solar panels work?
• Can mirrors and ceramic sand solve our energy problem?
• Can we get solar power to everyone who wants it?
• The Solar Grandmothers of Ambakivao, Madagascar
• Fourth graders create a solar-powered classroom
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