Giant Solar Panel Stretching Through the Desert
Translator: Fatıma Nur Dinçer
It would be wrong to say that energy is in its simplest form, the moving power needed for a system to work. Until this day the world has, unfortunately, ended its own moving power by exploiting energy sources that cannot regenerate themselves. However, we now have newly understood renewable energy sources. In this news piece, we will share with you the enormous impact of one of the renewable energy sources, solar energy panel, in Morocco. So much so that, Morocco now not only produces its own energy but has also taken a big step in terms of its economy.
Noor I
In the large Sahara deserts, there lies one of Morocco’s most powerful secrets. On February 4th, Morocco awakened part of the world’s largest concentrated solar system (Concentrated Solar Power), which has been lying in the Sahara Desert for some time. This structure, called Noor I, is the first stage of the project, and not only does it enclose a vast desert terrain but it is also viewable from space.
A section of the project has been allocated in the proximity of a small Moroccan village, Ouarzazate. The system here holds the capacity to generate 160 megawatts of energy. The system Noor I in Ouarzazate is the first leg of the world’s largest concentrated solar system, this will be followed by the Noor II and Noor III projects.
According to a report by The Guardian, with the completion of the entire system, the project will be the world’s only and largest solar system panel. An energy of 500 megawatts is expected from the entire three-legged Noor-Ouarzazate system. Financial group CIF, projects that by 2018, 1.1 million Moroccans will be able to benefit from the energy produced here.
Solar energy is reliant on the sun, right? So, what happens at night when the sun sets? Contrary to what we may think, the 500,000 crescent-shaped mirrors used by this system trap energy to heat liquid which is later used to release energy. When the project is finished, it will be able to produce usable energy for 20 hours of the day.
This project will provide renewable energy to a country that currently imports 98% of its energy. Now, this is an impressive way to deal with the importation of energy. Incorrect and excessive consumption of resources has till today had a great negative impact both on nature and on man. However, if we do not misuse this, renewable energy sources in nature offer us a better and greener alternative. We hope that this innovation taken by Morrocco will be one taken up by other countries too.
This article was originally written in Turkish. Click to read it! Çölde Uzanan Dev Güneş Enerjisi Paneli
