How much Solar Panel area is required to power up entire World? Elon Musk Reveals

[Tipu7]

Elon Musk is known for being a visionary and his recent talks about solar power highlight how underrated the technology really is. While giving an interview on 15th December at the American Geophysical Union meeting, he said that if we are able to cover only a corner of Nevada or Utah using solar panels; entire US can be powered.



He also talked about this fact on 2nd December while giving is talk at the Université de Paris Panthéon Sorbonne, “The important thing to appreciate is if let’s say the only thing we had was solar energy, that that was the only power source, if you just took a small section of Spain, you could power all of Europe. It’s a very small amount of area that’s actually needed to generate the electricity we need to power civilization, or in the case of the US, a little corner of Nevada or Utah, power the entire United States.”

Considering that the space being talked about is quite little, the question arises; is it really possible to do this? A fun fact; sun provides more power in an hour than the entire human race consumes in an entire year! However, solar power was used for only 0.39% of the power that was consumed in US last year. Musk believes that solar power will become the largest energy source by 2031.

Looking at it objectively, solar power is 20% efficient when it comes to transforming solar energy into power as per lab tests and thus, a land about the size of Spain would be enough to power the entire Earth in 2030, just like Musk pointed out.

Land Art Generator Initiative shows on a map just how little of a space we really are talking about. The map shows the solar installation as squares coupled together, however, the squares can be spread out depending upon area available.

The team at Land Art Generator Initiative did the following math to come up with this map; according to the US Energy Information Administration’s estimation of global energy consumption; we will by consuming 678 quadrillion Btu by 2030. This converts into 198,721,800,000,000 kilowatt-hours which is then divided by 400 kilowatt-hours of solar energy production per square meter of land (based on 70% sunshine days per year and 20% efficiency while also considering the fact that 1,000 watts of solar energy strike each square meter of land on earth) to come up with 496,805 square kilometers of solar panels (191,817 square miles).

These calculations are based if we use only solar power and no other power source. Let’s see when this happens and when the transition from non-renewable energy to renewable energy is completed.

http://wonderfulengineering.com/elo...anels-we-will-need-to-power-the-entire-world/

@Khafee @MaarKhoor @WAJsal @Neutron @HRK @Muhammad Omar @Pakistani Exile

Seriously.......... if its true........... then what are our preferences...............?
Instead of clean natural energy why we are so crazy about polluted fossil fuel or nuclear energy?

 

[Maarkhoor]

Very nice idea, no place or agricultural lands will be used for solar village but I strongly argue that solar panels are not producing clean energy during the production of solar panels and after discarding they are creating hazardous pollution.
My vote for clean energy in Pakistan is Hydro and wind turbines.
More on above during course of time their capacity to produce energy continuously reduce even after 5 years their capacity reduce to 50%.

 

[Muhammad Omar]

We are somewhat crazy about the fossil fuel or Nuclear Power Plants because of the Capacity Factors....
Solar Power Plant Capacity factor is 10% to 25% at max
the one that is under Construction in Bahawalpur is of 1000 MW and it's capacity factor is 10%-25% now calculate it how much electricity it will produce....

Example

Solar PV Plant

Solar PV Power Plant Efficiency normally 13 - 19% [i.e Capacity Factor].

Example:

Solar Power Plant capacity as 4MW produces energy yield as 5326.08 MWh units [As an annual average generation], Now Calculate Plant Capacity Factor?

Formula :

Energy Estimated / (Plant Generator Name plate capacity x 24 Hours x 365 Days )

For the above Project Capacity Factor as:


5326.08 MW-h / (4 MW x 24 Hours x 365 Days)

5326.08 MW-h / 35,040 MW-h x 100

Capacity Factor as = 15.2 %.




Generation Type Capacity Factor
Solar Panels 10-25%
Wind Turbines 25%
Hydroelectric Power Stations 40%
Coal Fired Power Plants 70%
Nuclear Power Plants 89%
Combined Cycle Gas Turbine 38%


Plus factors that are related to Solar Power Generation
Pollution
Reliability
Sunlight
Type of Land

 

[monitor]

Looking at it objectively, solar power is 20% efficient when it comes to transforming solar energy into power as per lab tests and thus, a land about the size of Spain would be enough to power the entire Earth in 2030

But the problem i think how we can store enough electricity during night time or low sunlight.

 

[Tipu7]

Very nice idea, no place or agricultural lands will be used for solar village but I strongly argue that solar panels are not producing clean energy during the production of solar panels and after discarding they are creating hazardous pollution.
My vote for clean energy in Pakistan is Hydro and wind turbines.
More on above during course of time their capacity to produce energy continuously reduce even after 5 years their capacity reduce to 50%.

We are somewhat crazy about the fossil fuel or Nuclear Power Plants because of the Capacity Factors....
Solar Power Plant Capacity factor is 10% to 25% at max
the one that is under Construction in Bahawalpur is of 1000 MW and it's capacity factor is 10%-25% now calculate it how much electricity it will produce....

Example

Solar PV Plant

Solar PV Power Plant Efficiency normally 13 - 19% [i.e Capacity Factor].

Example:

Solar Power Plant capacity as 4MW produces energy yield as 5326.08 MWh units [As an annual average generation], Now Calculate Plant Capacity Factor?

Formula :

Energy Estimated / (Plant Generator Name plate capacity x 24 Hours x 365 Days )

For the above Project Capacity Factor as:


5326.08 MW-h / (4 MW x 24 Hours x 365 Days)

5326.08 MW-h / 35,040 MW-h x 100

Capacity Factor as = 15.2 %.




Generation Type Capacity Factor
Solar Panels 10-25%
Wind Turbines 25%
Hydroelectric Power Stations 40%
Coal Fired Power Plants 70%
Nuclear Power Plants 89%
Combined Cycle Gas Turbine 38%


Plus factors that are related to Solar Power Generation
Pollution
Reliability
Sunlight
Type of Land

Have a look here ...........................

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=519521464893724

But the problem i think how we can store enough electricity during night time or low sunlight.

Such solar panels generate so much power during a sunny day that any excess power you don’t use immediately is conserved and put into the utility grid. The surplus power generated by solar panels offsets the energy you use at night......................

 

[kaykay]

How about using existing water canals as solar park? Trust me this idea seems very good and at the same time govts can save alot of money while not going for land acquisitions for same.
Here is an examples( from my city ofcourse).
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-01-10/news/57913187_1_power-plant-meil-50-mw-plant

 

[somebozo]

Capacity factor is low because energy can only be consumed during on-line grid. There is no storage..
However future enhancement may allow energy to be stored as reversible chemical reactions where a mix of chemicals passes through a reactor and becomes separated via electrolysis power by solar. At night time chemicals are combined in the reactor to generate electricity.

The benefit of such storage is that it can cycle thousands of times without degradation unlike typical batteries.
One such example is the ZnBr Battery from RedFlow.

But the problem i think how we can store enough electricity during night time or low sunlight.

We are somewhat crazy about the fossil fuel or Nuclear Power Plants because of the Capacity Factors....
Solar Power Plant Capacity factor is 10% to 25% at max
the one that is under Construction in Bahawalpur is of 1000 MW and it's capacity factor is 10%-25% now calculate it how much electricity it will produce....

Example

Solar PV Plant

Solar PV Power Plant Efficiency normally 13 - 19% [i.e Capacity Factor].

Example:

Solar Power Plant capacity as 4MW produces energy yield as 5326.08 MWh units [As an annual average generation], Now Calculate Plant Capacity Factor?

Formula :

Energy Estimated / (Plant Generator Name plate capacity x 24 Hours x 365 Days )

For the above Project Capacity Factor as:


5326.08 MW-h / (4 MW x 24 Hours x 365 Days)

5326.08 MW-h / 35,040 MW-h x 100

Capacity Factor as = 15.2 %.




Generation Type Capacity Factor
Solar Panels 10-25%
Wind Turbines 25%
Hydroelectric Power Stations 40%
Coal Fired Power Plants 70%
Nuclear Power Plants 89%
Combined Cycle Gas Turbine 38%


Plus factors that are related to Solar Power Generation
Pollution
Reliability
Sunlight
Type of Land

 

[Muhammad Omar]

Have a look here ...........................

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=519521464893724

Such solar panels generate so much power during a sunny day that any excess power you don’t use immediately is conserved and put into the utility grid. The surplus power generated by solar panels offsets the energy you use at night......................

Simply Awesome but it's integrated on Mobile Phones yet... but yeah we can put it on Building in future.... also look at this one
Solar Roadways

Capacity factor is low because energy can only be consumed during on-line grid. There is no storage..
However future enhancement may allow energy to be stored as reversible chemical reactions where a mix of chemicals passes through a reactor and becomes separated via electrolysis power by solar. At night time chemicals are combined in the reactor to generate electricity.

The benefit of such storage is that it can cycle thousands of times without degradation unlike typical batteries.
One such example is the ZnBr Battery from RedFlow.

That's what m also saying it's gonna happen i Future... Let the tech Develop more new and new ways will come out

 

[Tipu7]

Simply Awesome but it's integrated on Mobile Phones yet... but yeah we can put it on Building in future.... also look at this one
Solar Roadways

Oh those roads again
Who is gonna safe guard such expensive roads................???
Ofcourse more decent and applicable tech can be developed from it............. but first shot must be given to Transparent Solar Panels on Multi story buildings .......................

 

[Gauss]

His company's primary research area is batteries. Therefore it makes sense for him to talk about solar energy. If the whole world switches to solar power, the battery companies will receive a windfall that will make european colonization riches look like peanut shells.

 

[gslv]

Let me have the pleasure to tag @ultron here.

 

[Tipu7]

How about using existing water canals as solar park? Trust me this idea seems very good and at the same time govts can save alot of money while not going for land acquisitions for same.
Here is an examples( from my city ofcourse).
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-01-10/news/57913187_1_power-plant-meil-50-mw-plant

Yup........... i know it very well............. solar canals.............. but wait............ how our domestic animals will do that ?
You are killing their entertainment .................

 

[Pakistani E]

Seriously.......... if its true........... then what are our preferences...............?
Instead of clean natural energy why we are so crazy about polluted fossil fuel or nuclear energy?

Because the set up cost is expensive and you do not get your money's worth untill 5-10 years down the line, or even more sometimes. Also, big oil and gas corporations hinder investments in clean energy replacements as they have the most to lose from this source becoming more accessible.

For example, look at this:

BP dropped green energy projects worth billions to focus on fossil fuels

"At one stage the company, whose annual general meeting is in London on Thursday, was spending in-house around $450m (£300m) a year on research alone - the equivalent of $830m today."

"..while $8bn was directly invested over five years in zero- or low-carbon energy."

"...all of the technology was sold off and much of the research locked away in a private corporate archive."

"But he accepted that the company had retreated from renewable energy which had once had its own separate headquarters and chief executive, saying it was up to others to do that work."

http://www.theguardian.com/environm...jects-worth-billions-to-focus-on-fossil-fuels

 

[Muhammad Omar]

Oh those roads again
Who is gonna safe guard such expensive roads................???
Ofcourse more decent and applicable tech can be developed from it............. but first shot must be given to Transparent Solar Panels on Multi story buildings .......................

yes first shot will be given to Transparent Solar Panels on Multi story buildings....

about safe guards of these roads... Yeah it's difficult in Country Like Pakistan Loogon ne ukhaar k ghar le jani hain

 

[Pakistani-Pashtoon]

rough guess is that if area equal to the size of France is installed with Solar panels, it would be enough to power up the globe with Solar energy.... there is lot of potential in Sahara desert... interestingly Sahara desert also got largest reservoir of drinking water siting there from long time... it is pretty deep and someone needs to pull it out to make it livable for human...

 

[XenoEnsi-14]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=519521464893724