A study shows that powering a new telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert with renewable energy can also support around 66% of the electricity needs for nearby communities, according to a media release from Utrecht University.
The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) project wrapped up its design study process in August, including investigations into various renewable energy systems. The goal is for the observatory to be in operation by 2030.
Although the region's Chajnantor plateau is ideal for the community of astronomers who scan the skies, it's also very remote, with the nearest electrical grid connection point around 93 miles away.
The nearby village of San Pedro de Atacama is about 63 miles from the grid, so its residents have been using dirty diesel and natural gas generators for its power, as the report detailed.
Those systems suffer frequent outages, and although the area boasts 85% of Chile's solar energy developments, much of its generation has been directed toward lithium mines, or exported to other areas.
The country has been a global leader in solar power generation, producing 9.4% of its primary energy from the sun in 2023, which translates to 20% of the country's electricity needs, as Our World in Data revealed.
This proves the viability of clean solar for the region, but small, remote communities need more support to obtain a share of it.
The feasibility study around AtLAST, which was posted in Nature Sustainability, shows that "local residents, the municipality, the existing local utility, and observatories" all seem to share similar priorities, like reduced pollution, energy security, and lower costs.
"Allowing those who are truly affected to participate in the discussion and be able to influence decision-making is essential to arrive at just, locally applicable solutions for the energy transition," said lead author Guillermo Valenzuela-Venegas, a researcher at the University of Oslo, per the media release.
The AtLAST location is considering a Concentrating Solar Power plant, which includes energy storage as part of the system, but since costs are high, a shared investment would be preferable. By working together, the community and research team could lower costs, help neighboring communities stabilize their power supply, and reduce their use of dirty fuels.
If other observatories in the Chajnantor plateau area installed similar renewable energy systems, the local environment would also benefit, as the release further explained.
The researchers estimated they could reduce energy produced through burning dirty fuels by 30 gigawatt-hours annually, and cut 18-24 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from entering the atmosphere and heating the planet. Warming global temperatures have been connected to a host of troubling issues, from more intense extreme weather to the spread of disease.
"Distributing benefits to multiple stakeholders through an energy community can lead to a more socially accepted and just energy transition," said co-author Luis Ramirez Camargo, an assistant professor at Utrecht University's Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, per the release.
"Our research shows that astronomy can lead by example in the urgent transition to an equitable net-zero world, keeping our planet habitable and ensuring no one is left behind."
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
