European Union Plans For Huge Solar Farm In Sahara Desert To Power Europe

We can safely say that there's all sorts of implementations for solar power. Even today, we saw what it could do for a soccer ball. But, let's take things a bit bigger, shall we? Start looking at the big picture, more or less. And with as grand of plans as the European Union seems to have, it may not get any bigger than this.

Here's a statistic you may be interested in knowing: If only 1% of the Sahara Desert was covered in solar panels, it would generate enough energy to power the entire world. So, we've got to ask: why hasn't something like this been thought of before? If the European Union has its way, then in the next five years, a giant solar panel farm is going to be constructed within the desert in question, and will be expanded gradually throughout the decades that follow.

The beginning stages will prove troublesome, as the EU needs to figure out means to get the energy from the desert to homes in Europe. While they do that, it sounds like they're only going to be able to move a minimal amount, or a smaller proportion to what is actually needed for the countries therein. But, as methods get better, and it becomes easier to transport the energy, then it's estimated that by 2050 (when the project is estimated to last until), that all of Europe could be powered by the solar panels in the Sahara Desert. The problem could be the estimated $400 billion Euros the project is estimated to cost just to start, but we're sure if there's any reason to earn some money for something, this could be it. And, how much of the desert do they need to cover with solar panels to power the entire European continent? .3%.

[via Inhabitat]