I thought this was going to be about using solar energy to ‘terraform’ the area around solar farms in deserts. (Terraform isn’t the right word on earth but you get the idea) Is anyone exploring that?
We are creating a shaded microclimate underneath a field of solar panels, which apparently can be harvested to meaningfully impact a larger area with a different climate.
I wish they'd given figures on the expansion factor: one hectare of solar farm is enough to seed X hectares of desert.
It reminds me of how the Amazon rainforest is fed in great part by a single small area in the Sahara (the Bodélé Depression in Chad). The area is 150km × 500km, but it seems like the relevant area (the winds have to exceed 36km/h to pick up enough dust to matter) may be smaller?
They would look pretty funny from altitude. With alternating black solar panels and white radiator panels would they average out to gray? Tweak the pigment mix slightly so they end up a tan-ish resembling the dirt they cover?