Solar dreams

[To_Mars_and_Beyond]

The world energy consumption is some 150,000 TWh. The average solar irradiance at the surface level is 163 W/m^2. Assuming, quite arbitrarily, that we can harvest 10% of that by using the photovoltaics aka. solar cells, we can calculate how much solar panel would be needed to satisfy the world energy demand.

The answer is 1.05 million square kilometres. While that sounds like a lot, it must be compared to the total surface area of the Earth, 510 million square kilometres. It may also be compared to the the area of the Australian desert, 1.37 million sq-km, or the area of the Saharan desert, 9.2 million sq-km.

So, is the future solar? Isn't solar energy the silver bullet to climate change? Topics to discuss:

• Has anybody suggested offshore solar?
• In which countries is the solar energy really a feasible and economic option?
• How much do you expect the price of the solar panels to decrease and/or the efficiency to increase?

Opinions welcome.

[swansont]

What advantages would offshore have?

2 hours ago, To_Mars_and_Beyond said:

How much do you expect the price of the solar panels to decrease and/or the efficiency to increase?

How about providing the historical data/trends?

 

2 hours ago, To_Mars_and_Beyond said:

In which countries is the solar energy really a feasible and economic option?

That depends on multiple factors. It’s being implemented in the arctic and in Antarctica, so latitude is not inherently a showstopper 

[studiot]

12 minutes ago, swansont said:

 It’s being implemented in the arctic and in Antarctica, so latitude is not inherently a showstopper

Are these installations because there is no available generator and how do they compare with a wind turbine ?

[J.C.MacSwell]

1 hour ago, studiot said:

Are these installations because there is no available generator and how do they compare with a wind turbine ?

Not an answer but just a comment: I suspect there is more human activities during the respective summers, when solar would tend to be available.

[swansont]

23 hours ago, studiot said:

Are these installations because there is no available generator and how do they compare with a wind turbine ?

That would be one of the “many factors” I mentioned. Not that there are no generators, as such, but the logistics of fueling them and difficulty in operating them have an impact.