Australian engineers have found a way to provide energy to the whole world

Engineers from the Australian National University have proposed building a giant floating solar array near the equator that will power the entire Earth. Their project published scientific journal MDPI.

According to scientists, Indonesia alone could generate about 35,000 terawatt-hours of solar energy per year. This is even more than the current world electricity production (30,000 terawatt-hours per year).

The authors of the work also studied the climate map of the Earth and determined the most favorable places on Earth for placement global floating solar system - the Indonesian archipelagos and equatorial West Africa (near Nigeria). They can also be installed on rooftops, in dry areas, next to agricultural land or on bodies of water. In general, any regions are suitable where the waves do not rise above 6 meters, and the wind does not exceed 15 meters per second.

According to preliminary calculations, 70 square kilometers of solar panels can meet the needs of at least a million households in a carbon-free economy.

However, such a system has a number of disadvantages compared to ground-based counterparts. These are, for example, salt corrosion and marine fouling with mineral particles or settlements of organisms. In addition, before attaching the batteries, it is necessary to carry out special studies to minimize damage to the marine environment. A global warming and can completely change the nature of the wind and deprive them of their meaning.

The question of implementation and financing of the project also remains open. Engineers described only the idea and calculated its effectiveness.

Despite all the disadvantages, scientists note that the transition to renewable energy is inevitable, and their plan could accelerate this process, which is beneficial for all mankind.