Two years ago, a team of Finnish scientists estimated that the world needs to get 69 percent of its primary energy from solar farms in order to achieve its ambitious net-zero goal. That, the scientists said, would necessitate the construction of many more solar farms than are currently planned. And consensus has it that the Sahara would be the perfect place for a few giant solar farms. However, the consensus appears to be wrong, according to two researchers. Zhengyao Lu from Sweden’s Lund University and Benjamin Smith from Western Sydney University warned in a recent paper that turning the Sahara into a giant solar farm will have negative consequences for the global climate because of the way solar panels work. Everyone knows the basics: photovoltaic panels absorb the energy of the sun. But just a step beyond these basics, we are reminded of the efficiency factor of solar panels, […]