[frizzfreeling]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
if we are talking about powering the world with solar power, I'd be curious to see an estimate of the effect on our climate of absorbing that much sunlight.

[/ QUOTE ]

'None' would be a pretty accurate ballpark assesment.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is false. If you cover desert, which reflects much of the sun's rays, with a dark-blue/black surface that absorbs say 90%+ of the sun's rays and takes 20% of that energy, converting it to electricity, you still have a body that absorbs much more thermal solar energy than a typical desert environment. This works on the same general principle as that used to describe why its usually hotter over a blacktop surface than over a white surface.

Compared to a typical environment, deserts absorb less radiation per unit area from the sun, causing wild fluctuations in temperature from night and day versus, say a piece of forrest, which changes temperature more slowly and maintains temp better at night due to its increase absorbtion of radiation during the daytime.

If you live in Phoenix, Arizona, and replace your white roof with dark shingles, your roof/attic will become much hotter. Simply taking part of that radiation and converting it to electricity does not make up for the added heat load.