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Even in Saudi Arabia, Renewable Power Is Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels (www.bloomberg.com)

submitted 5 months ago by gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de to c/solarpunk@slrpnk.net

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[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 15 points 5 months ago (8 children)

Wind farms? I have to admit I assumed solar would work better in the middle of a desert.

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 5 months ago (6 children)

you're not the only one who is surprised by this. I don't know yet how to explain that.

[–] ME5SENGER_24@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago (5 children)

I know that solar panels have to be cleaned pretty regularly to function with high efficiency. My guess would be that the cost and labor to clean the panels would be pretty high.

Quoting from National Geographic:

Winds at speeds of about 100 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour) sweep through some deserts. With little vegetation to block it, the wind can carry sand and dust across entire continents and even oceans. Windstorms in the Sahara hurl so much material into the air that African dustsometimes crosses the Atlantic Ocean. Sunsets on the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of Florida, for example, can be tinted yellow.

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So heavy winds and lots of dust can make wind power more efficient in desert environments

[–] JacobCoffinWrites@slrpnk.net 6 points 5 months ago

I wonder if all that airborne grit effects the windmills. Just the same, I'm glad for any green energy progress

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