Installing a solar photovoltaic power station in the desert

Can solar PV power plants be installed in deserts?

Desertification leaves less genuinely usable space for agriculture and living for most of mankind. Due to this development, thinking about efficient ways to use otherwise mostly deserted space comes into mind – one of which is the installation of solar PV power plants in deserts.

Do PV power stations green desert vegetation?

Overall, the greening area of all deserts is much larger than the degradation area, indicating an overall greening trend of desert vegetation after the PV power stations deployment. From 2011 to 2018, the greening area within the range of PV power stations increased to 30.8 km 2 substantially, with the largest greening area in 2016 (31.9 km 2).

Can PV power stations be deployed in desert areas?

The deployment sites of PV power stations in desert areas can be divided into: vegetation-covered areas and non-vegetation-covered areas. Before the PV power stations deployment, the soils usually need to be graded, resulting in vegetation removal (Hernandez et al., 2014). Fig.

Should solar power stations be built in desert areas?

As renewable energy development is accelerating globally, more and more PV power stations are built in desert areas to meet the growing demand for sustainable energy (Kruitwagen et al., 2021; Li et al., 2018).

Do desert solar PV projects use water?

Depending on the PV module technology employed in a desert solar PV project, this often involves the usage of water which however is a costly commodity in such regions and challenging to transport over vast distances.

How many MWh does Desert photovoltaic power use in 2021?

The global primary energy consumption is 1.76 × 10 11 MWh in 2021 (26), which also means that based on the current energy demand, the volume of desert photovoltaic power is able to supply the world with energy. The power supply of deserts in the Middle East, East Asia, Australia, and North America is ranked in sequence.