Wind and solar farms can make their own weather, including extra rain over the Sahara

Scientists say these renewable forms of energy can change the climate more directly — and do it in ways that might surprise you.If wind turbines and solar panels were deployed across the Sahara, more rain would fall and more plants would grow in the massive African desert, according to researchpublished in Friday’s edition of the journal Science.In the case of wind farms, the giant turbines would cause warmer air from above to mix with cooler air below, bringing more heat close to the surface. Air temperatures near the ground would increase by nearly 4 degrees Fahrenheit.In addition, the turbines would interrupt the smoothness of the desert surface. Winds blowing through the area would move more slowly.That, combined with the added heat, would change the atmospheric conditions over the Sahara and bring more moisture to the area. Average rainfall would increase by up to 0.25 of a millimeter per day — about double what it would have been otherwise, according to the study.The additional water would fuel plant growth, and those extra plants would reduce the amount of sunlight that’s reflected off the desert surface.From there, it’s a positive feedback loop, the researchers explained: The reduced reflectivity enhances precipitation, which fuels plant growth, which reduces albedo, and so on.