Finding the gold mine of solar power generation at the 'pole'

When it comes to the main geographic areas for solar energy use, people always think of hot deserts. Generally speaking, the conversion rate of solar photovoltaic power generation decreases with decreasing latitude because the conversion rate is too high. A new study concludes that some of the world's coldest regions - including the Himalayas, the Andes, and even Antarctica - could be a gold mine for solar energy. The research was published in the American Chemical Society's journal Environmental Science & Technology.

The potential for renewable solar power generation depends heavily on geographic location. Arid and semi-arid regions with abundant sunlight have long been considered good locations for solar power generation. However, scientists point out that there are still gaps in knowledge about the best geographic locations for harvesting solar energy because of limited key data on weather-related conditions at a global scale. To expand this knowledge, they used a proven technique to estimate the global solar potential using existing data. This technique takes into account the effect of temperature on the output of solar cells. Future research will consider other variables, such as transmission losses and snowfall.

Scientists have found that many hot areas -- such as the deserts of the southwestern United States -- are ideal locations for solar arrays. However, they have also found that many cold areas at high altitudes receive a lot of sunlight -- so much that they have a higher potential for generating electricity from the sun than some desert areas. The Himalayas, including Mount Everest, could be an ideal location for building solar photovoltaic power plants for China's rapidly expanding economy.