Breeding Silicon and Solar Power in the Middle Dessert

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-11/breeding-silicon-and-solar-power-middle-desert



The plan of breeding silicon to make solar panels is a group project of the Japanese and Algerian Universities. The plan is to use the desert's immense supplies of sunlight and sand to "breed" solar power plants and solar panel factories. It will start with some silicon producing facotories that will churn out the silicon needed for solar panels. After the panels are made they are going to be used to power the silicon manufacturing plants that will obviously make more silicon and solar panels. By the year 2050 the univesities will be making enough silicon and solar panels to supply half he world's energy. At the same time they are also saving energy by using the solar panels used to produce the silicon and solar panels in the factories. Some question the fact that the power plant will stop competition but the "Breeder Project" says that it will be able to be cost competitive even with the added cost of cooling lines for transmissions.