Saudi Arabia signed deals to buy electricity from two large-scale wind farms that are cheaper than natural gas plants, as it aims to rapidly transition to a bigger share of renewables in the power grid.
A desert is a very different environment to “normal”. Nievly you would think solar would be better.
Unfortunately:
A lot more sand means a lot more cleaning, one of the few ongoing costs of solar.
Sand is ablative. A sand storm will scratch and erode the surface of the panel. This will reduce its efficiency.
Sandstorms can darken the sky. A lot of direct light can be lost to a sandstorm.
Solar panels don’t work well when hot. Deserts are generally quite hot, when the sun is shining.
Solder joints don’t like thermal stresses. The panels, ultimately need wiring together. The joints (cell to cell, and cell to wire) don’t like thermal stresses. Deserts get cold at night, and hot during the day. A lot more panels than normal will be lost to failed electrical connections.
Wind, on the other hand, does well in a large open area. The only additional effects of sand would be blade ablation, and sand in moving parts. Both of these are easier to counter.
A desert is a very different environment to “normal”. Nievly you would think solar would be better.
Unfortunately:
A lot more sand means a lot more cleaning, one of the few ongoing costs of solar.
Sand is ablative. A sand storm will scratch and erode the surface of the panel. This will reduce its efficiency.
Sandstorms can darken the sky. A lot of direct light can be lost to a sandstorm.
Solar panels don’t work well when hot. Deserts are generally quite hot, when the sun is shining.
Solder joints don’t like thermal stresses. The panels, ultimately need wiring together. The joints (cell to cell, and cell to wire) don’t like thermal stresses. Deserts get cold at night, and hot during the day. A lot more panels than normal will be lost to failed electrical connections.
Wind, on the other hand, does well in a large open area. The only additional effects of sand would be blade ablation, and sand in moving parts. Both of these are easier to counter.