http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/03/quantumsphere-n.html

So all they really have to do is coat the desert in solar panels if that works. Huge amount of free fuel available.

Quote from: SeriousSo all they really have to do is coat the desert in solar panels if that works. Huge amount of free fuel available.

Dont see why they havnt done that already... would make a lot of sense not many people use the desert.

Cost, the governments would have to subsidise the companies a little in order to do it. There has been a massive plan to do this in the US which would cost the American government fifty odd billion over the next few years, but it would supply their entire electrical needs. They could do it to the African, Australian and Asian deserts too. That would make the amount of fossil fuel use negligible.

i was going to say you have to think about transmison losses too.... but i guess with "free, clean" power its not so bad...

tho I guess theyll hold off a bit till solar pannels are a bit more efficient ?

on a side note, Im suprised compressed natural gas isnt more popular..... I wish it was.... Id have a compressor hooked up to the gas main in 0.4 seconds

Quote from: knightyi was going to say you have to think about transmison losses too.... but i guess with "free, clean" power its not so bad...

tho I guess theyll hold off a bit till solar pannels are a bit more efficient ?

That can be helped along with a technique using high voltage DC current.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HVDC

Then again plenty of companies may be interested in painting their buildings with this stuff. Might be useful for cars too, keep the battery charged up.

http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/energy-fuels/dn13424-solarpower-paint-lets-you-generate-as-you-decorate.html

Quote from: mr_roll

Quote from: SeriousSo all they really have to do is coat the desert in solar panels if that works. Huge amount of free fuel available.

Dont see why they havnt done that already... would make a lot of sense not many people use the desert.

A couple of problems that jump straight out at me w/ using the Desert:

The desert is not a static entity, its constantly moving so "fixing" anything to it and stopping that thing from disappearing below the sand would be a feat of monster engineering.
Sand storms are pretty vicious and would lead to more expensive panels having to be built.

put a roof on the entire desert