Do wind and solar farms increase temperature in the Sahara?

In this study, we used a climate model with dynamic vegetation to show that large-scale installations of wind and solar farms covering the Sahara lead to a local temperature increase and more than a twofold precipitation increase, especially in the Sahel, through increased surface friction and reduced albedo.

Can wind and solar farms be used together in the Sahara?

When wind and solar farms are deployed together in the Sahara, changes in climate are enhanced.

Do wind turbines reduce wind speed in the wetter Sahel region?

A slight cooling is observed in the wetter Sahel region because recovered vegetation increases evaporation and decreases sensible heat flux. As expected, the increased drag at the surface due to wind turbines reduces wind speed by ~36% (fig. S1).

Is Morocco dependent on Western Sahara for its energy supply?

But these developments have made Morocco partly dependent on Western Sahara for its energy supply. Morocco already gets 18% of its installed wind capacity and 15% of its solar from the occupied territory, and by 2030 that could increase to almost half of its wind and up to a third of its solar.

Does solar power increase rainfall in the Sahara?

But is this its only benefit? Li et al. conducted experiments using a climate model to show that the installation of large-scale wind and solar power generation facilities in the Sahara could cause more local rainfall, particularly in the neighboring Sahel region.

Could large solar farms in the Sahara Desert redistribute solar power?

Large solar farms in the Sahara Desert could redistribute solar power generation potential locally as well as globally through disturbance of large-scale atmospheric teleconnections, according to simulations with an Earth system model.