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SUMMARY:Clean Power from Deserts - and other benefits too - Dr Gerry Wolff
  (Coordinator of TREC-UK\, www.trec-uk.org.uk)
DTSTART:20080212T170000Z
DTEND:20080212T183000Z
UID:TALK10680@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:8506
DESCRIPTION:Every year\, each square kilometre of hot desert receives sola
 r energy equivalent to 1.5 million barrels of oil. Multiplying by the area
  of deserts worldwide\, this is several hundred times the entire current e
 nergy\nconsumption of the world. It is possible to tap in to this cornucop
 ia with the simple\, proven technology of concentrating solar power (CSP):
  using mirrors to concentrate sunlight to create heat and then using the h
 eat to raise steam to drive turbines and generators in the conventional wa
 y. Using CSP\, less than 1% of the world's deserts could generate as much 
 electricity as the world is currently using. It is feasible and economic t
 o transmit solar electricity for 3000 km or more using highly-efficient 'H
 VDC' transmission lines. It has been calculated that 90% of the world's po
 pulation lives within 2700 km of a hot desert.\n\nApart from jobs\, earnin
 gs and plentiful supplies of clean electricity\, CSP offers some interesti
 ng benefits for host countries. Waste heat from CSP plants may be used for
  the desalination of sea water\, a welcome bonus in arid regions. The shad
 ed areas under the mirrors of CSP plants may be used for many purposes\, i
 ncluding horticulture -- with fresh water provided by the desalination of 
 sea water. Land that would otherwise be unproductive may be used to grow f
 ood and other products.\n\nThese 'DESERTEC' ideas have been developed by t
 he 'TREC' international network of scientists and engineers\, including re
 searchers at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). TREC-UK is a group of volu
 nteers working to make these ideas better known in the UK and beyond. Dr G
 erry Wolff\, coordinator of the group\, is a former university lecturer in
  computer systems engineering. Further information about the DESERTEC conc
 ept may be found at www.desertec.org and at www.trec-uk.org.uk .\n
LOCATION:St Edmund's College\, Garden Room
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