Scientists unearth a consequence of solar panels in the Sahara…
While the black surfaces of solar panels absorb most of the sunlight that reaches them, only a fraction (around 15%) of that incoming energy gets converted to electricity. The rest is returned to the environment as heat. The panels are usually much darker than the ground they cover, so a vast expanse of solar cells will absorb a lot of additional energy and emit it as heat, affecting the climate.
If these effects were only local, they might not matter in a sparsely populated and barren desert. But the scale of the installations that would be needed to make a dent in the world’s fossil energy demand would be vast, covering thousands of square kilometers. Heat re-emitted from an area this size will be redistributed by the flow of air in the atmosphere, having regional and even global effects on the climate. […]
Covering 20% of the Sahara with solar farms raises local temperatures in the desert by 1.5°C according to our model. At 50% coverage, the temperature increase is 2.5°C. This warming is eventually spread around the globe by the atmosphere and ocean movement, raising the world’s average temperature by 0.16°C for 20% coverage, and 0.39°C for 50% coverage. The global temperature shift is not uniform though – the polar regions would warm more than the tropics, increasing sea ice loss in the Arctic. This could further accelerate warming, as melting sea ice exposes dark water which absorbs much more solar energy.
You’d almost think this would give Leftwingnuts cause for pause. But in their eternal double down on stupid spirit they’d just increase the sun dimming contract to Bill Gates and spray more CaCO3 dust into the atmosphere to offset solar cell induced heat absorption. Of course more dust = less sunlight but it’s still green energy, right? Larry the Cable Guy couldn’t get’er done better.
…they just described UHI….admitted it’s causing it
” The global temperature shift is not uniform though – the polar regions would warm more than the tropics, increasing sea ice loss in the Arctic. This could further accelerate warming, as melting sea ice exposes dark water which absorbs much more solar energy.”
AOC hardest hit by this news!
She’ll never know because CBC and CNN will never report it. Another news omission by the self regulating media.
Solar panels cause global warming. There is no debate.
Well, since according to John Kerry, global warming is causing global cooling and starting a new ice age perhaps it will all even out.
Until “they” achieve their now stated goal, they will use what ever hob goblin they can to close in on that goal.
global warming, climate change, Covid, it doesn’t matter, what matters is the goal, and they are close enough now that they no longer care that we know. From their perspective, it’s in the bag, their just doing the mop ups and arranging the furniture now. I would like to think it can still be stopped, but truly, I doubt it.
If anything, the desert needs to be hotter.
Another product of the “never think things through” culture.
In short :”Don’t do it, or we’re all gonna die!!!”
More BS pure speculative modeling and fear-mongering from our betters. Heaven forbid, even if they’re right, 2-3 growing seasons in the prairies or the steppes of Russia would really suck.
If the local camel-jockeys want to build a bunch of solar installations and maybe sell some power to the southern Europeans, I say knock yourselves out, as long as I don’t have to pay for any of it.
Not to worry! Here in California … our energy regulations give you HUGE brownie points (toward Govt. approval of your project) for solar panels … and … for installing a “cool” roof. Yes, if you install WHITE shingles on your roof… then you “offset” whatever BLACK surface the solar panels cover.
Pro tip: white shingles on all your neighbor’s roofs look like shit.
Just another way the Marxists, err Warmists have got you by the balls both coming and going
It would probably not surprise you to know that a California solar power facility is on the state’s list of major CO2 emitters for power producers: Ivanpah solar reflecting station.
because they take a huge efficiency hit if their molten salts cool, so they have to spend a whole bunch of energy when the sun isn’t out to keep them molten?
White shingles are racist!
so has anyone actually published a study of what effect wind turbines have on the local micro-climate, as they remove energy in the form of motion, and convert it to heat and electricity?
That is a very real concern some ecologists have been asking for more than a decade. Of course, there is no funding to model, ….er, investigate this…..
why would there be, when it could be another negative side effect…
The law of unintended consequences indeed. Since the climate alarmists like throwing models supporting their beliefs at the public, it’s only fair they get one back. Years ago I heard an interview with George Monbiot (on the CBC naturally) where he proposed covering the Sahara from Egypt to Morocco with solar panels to supply Europe. My thought at the time was – what could possibly go wrong given the Islamic nutbars running rampant in the region.
Yawn. Just another in a long list of negatives that will be ignored because they don’t fit the narrative.
The deep greens behind the masses of useful idiot greens know that wind and solar are a technological joke as far as being a realistic source of efficient, reliable, “clean”, energy. The goal is to deindustrialize and depopulate humanity. The mindless mushy masses need a faith based bromide to fix the false and hysterical crisis (CAGW) and the institutional left has adopted it, packaged it, and re-sold it, lock, stock, and barrel. Wind and solar are not solutions but a weapon in the war on prosperity.
More models. Ptoey.
The only thing that improves with more models is Robert Palmer videos. Science, not so much.
Try to fiddle with Mother Nature’s sand box and she’ll take a shit in it every time.
Two words: Energy Density
We are ruled by absolute criminal morons.
China’s CO2 emissions are growing massively, as permitted by the Paris Accords, but nobody – especially environmentalists – cares about that either.
You’d almost think that the climate change industry isn’t really about the climate at all.
The irony is delicious.
Similarly, with regards to retarded wind turbines, the words “Look! Up in the sky… it’s a bird!” will soon take on greater significance.
Sky News Australia rocks
Andrew Bolt and Patrick Moore
There is ‘nothing out of the ordinary’ in the global climate today
https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6234266816001
I don’t know, another non problem with a non solution to a non problem backed by models that are always wrong.
It’s all bullshit.
It’s the sun, not CO2 that runs climate.
CO2 is 0.04% of the atmosphere,
https://www.shiftfrequency.com/man-made-co2-3-of-3-of-0-1/
Manmade CO2: 3% of 3% of 0.1% So here’s the bottom line. According to the IPCC’s own data, man-made CO2 output levels are 3% of 3% of 0.1% of the total Earth’s atmosphere. That’s 0.000009%!
That ain’t warming squat!
I have been saying for years ( actually decades) that solar panels- being black- produce a lot of heat…heat that will WARM up the environment, not help cool it ( or save it )
No need to be a scientist, just walk barefoot on the grass, then sit on black vinyl car seats that have been in the sun a couple hours and it’ll be obvious to you; grass is cool, black surfaces are OVEN hot.
The greenies are wrong about almost everything.