Very Ambitious Plan. When realised it will be best use of Solar Energy.

Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India

This may sound very Ambitious but, what happens when a sandstorm sandblasts everything to smaller pieces?

Produce solar grade silicon and the solar panels where there is sufficient water and capabilities to sustain the manufacture. Install the panels in the economically suitable locations based upon transmission efficiencies and need. The plan as put forth so far is at one of the low efficiency extremes but has sufficient merit for both universities to warrant optimization.

Instead of super long super conducting cables, why not split sea-water for hydrogen to be ballooned off to wherever needed and oxygen to use making the silica?

Why not use this energy from the solar desert to breakdown water to hydrogen and oxygen, and then send the hydrogen around the world to run cars and industry and homes and to all kinds of things. The oxygen has many uses as well.

I have to agree with Piers and Jerome, why waste effort and money trying to build a \"superconducting supergrid\" when you could export the solar panels to where they will be used. Or make hydrogen? One of the reasons it is so expensive to install solar panels at home is because of the relatively low supply. Create a massive solar panel factory and distribute the panels. Australia, China and the US, to name just three countries, have large areas that get plenty of sun, at least as much as the Sahara surely?

Why use a grid at all? Why not use Tesla\'s old patent, and wirelessly transmit the power? What a waste of materials to make a \'Superconducting transmission grid\'! Or if not tesla\'s \'Wardencliffe\' design, microwaves!

This is a great step into the future, in 2050 ill be in my 60\'s and i might not get the full effects of this just because plans in business change with time but just watching this project start and knowing ill get to see it grow into a working industry will be amazing in itself

You ask why they are bothering to develop the long distance power grid... I thought the answer would be obvious.

1. the project needs shor-term goals that radically improve life for current infrastructure.

2. The project isnt expected to succeed so any short term goals need to be usable today.

3. Theres lots of sand there and its cheap...

4. The only way the project would succeed is if they enclosed the cells in glass domes that would be replaced each sand storm. So if this project was actually meant to succeed they would have included this in the initial goals they didnt..so the project is a goose.

5. I believe the author omitted some information...The means to extract the sand for testing in Japan...im sure they would exporting it for tests...lots of it. Possibly a few mountains worth over several years for little cost...Hell japan needs a new shore line...

6. I dispute this \"there is currently no technology for making silicon from desert sand.\"

7. Jeepers that nice sandy area away from everyone looks like a good place to put a listening station...now what cover story shall we use, hmmmm. Dont be surprised if the Chinese add a few researchers into the mix on this project...

This is a project like from a textbook utopia. Only Lunar Solar Power project beats it in its lofty ambition. Good luck.

In a way, Lunar Solar Power could be in fact realizable, if some utopia conditions prevail down on Earth. If Nixon did not kill the Apollo (and did not start the shuttle the way he did, cutting its budget so that ultimate crap of a shuttle was made instead of the real one) we would have likely had the Lunar Solar Power by now.

Comparing to Lunar Solar, Sahara Solar is down to earth. Both technologies are likely realizable. And there is definitely enough energy in Sahara (and for that matter anywhere in the deserts of today) to feed everybody with energy surplus by 2050. To be able to produce silicon out of desert sand would be a nice know-how to have. Superconductors too. Energy is abundant. When you have energy you have everything starting with the living standard of envy.

The real hurdle is the politics. I mean Nixons. Mean, shortsighted and scheming Nixons. They killed Apollo and they would do their worst with Super Apollo as well if history has something to teach.