Solar panels covering less than 2 % of the Sahara desert would generate enough electricity to power the entire grid , according to professor Mehran Moalem , focusing on nuclear materials and nuclear fuel cycle . Responding to a question on Quora , he estimates the cost of the project to be around $ 5tn , with an average capacity factor of " greater than 22 % " for panels costing an estimated 30 cents per Watt . Although the installation of solar panels is not without environmental risk , Moalem believes the impact on the Sahara would be negligible .
Solar panels covering less than 2% of the Sahara desert would generate enough electricity to power the entire world, according to Professor Mehran Moalem, expert on nuclear materials and nuclear fuel cycle. Responding to a question on Quora, he estimated the cost of the project to be around $5tn, with an average capacity factor of "greater than 22%" for panels costing an estimated 30 cents per Watt. Although the production of solar panels is not without environmental risk, Moalem believes the impact on the Sahara would be negligible.