Sand Energy

With sources of fossil fuels dwindling, scientists are continuously looking for alternative energy sources and with the sun producing quite a lot of energy and not showing any signs of running out any time soon it seems quite a good place to start. The sun produces 10,000 times the energy we currently use on earth so if we could usefully capture just 0.01% of that we will have a surplus. While we're used to seeing the odd solar panel on the roof of someone trying to cut down on their energy bills, no one has taken full advantage of the point on the earth where the sun shines the most: the Sahara desert.

But to make solar panels you need silicon. Silicon can be made using silica, the world's second most abundant raw material, and one that is conveniently found in sand, something the Sahara has in copious amounts. The problem is that the technology to turn sand into solar panels has yet to be discovered. Not to mention that the grid that would connect the desert to where the energy is needed has not been invented.

But thanks to universities in Japan and Algeria, this is about to change. The Sahara Solar Breeder Project aims to develop a method of turning the desert's sand into solar panels, to capture the suns energy and to transport it to where it is needed. The project aims eventually to provide 100GW for human usage by 2050, 50 times what the Aswan dam currently provides. Hideomi Koinuma, heading the venture, aims to train local scientists and engineers by involving them right from the start in research and development in order to discover and nurture talent in Africa, rather than working solely with scientists from developed countries.

Whether this project will ever come to fruition remains to be seen, but while ideas like this are still being researched, there's still a good chance of finding a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

(Spotted on Inhabitat)

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