'Maybe its not science fiction': Solar panels are causing rainwater to fall
in one of the driest places on Earth

Date:
Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:45:00 +0000

Description:
Model research suggests large solar farms in deserts may generate rainfall through heat-driven updrafts, potentially providing water for arid regions.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Pro Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Dark solar panels turn desert heat into rain clouds, not just electricity A 20 square kilometer solar farm produces more rain than a year of cloud seeding The Persian Gulf's moist winds are what the desert solar needs to make rain In the United Arab Emirates, where water is more valuable than oil, new research suggests large solar farms could trigger their own rainstorms.

A modelling study led by climate scientist Oliver Branch at the University of Hohenheim found dark solar panels absorb more heat than the surrounding reflective desert sand. This temperature difference drives updrafts that can lead to rain, potentially providing water for tens of thousands of people. Article continues below You may like Nvidia's Earth-2 models, including 'climate in a bottle', want to change weather forecasting for everyone across the world Surge in ultra-hot data centers is creating extreme heat islands
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that absorb 95% of incoming sunlight.

When solar farms exceeded 15 square kilometers, the increased heat contrasted sharply with the reflective sand around them, increasing the updrafts that drive cloud formation, but it needs a source of atmospheric moisture.

However, the model showed that moist, high-altitude winds from the Persian Gulf would suffice.

A 20 square kilometer solar field would increase rainfall by nearly 600,000 cubic meters under the right conditions, equivalent to 1cm of rain falling across an area the size of Manhattan. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me
with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

If such rainstorms occurred ten times in one summer, they would provide
enough water for more than 30,000 people for a year.

Some solar farms are getting up to the right size right now Maybe its not science fiction that we can produce this effect, said Branch.

One limitation is that the simulated solar panels were darker than most manufacturers currently make, as some modern solar panels are designed to be reflective to cool their surroundings, which would reduce the rainmaking effect. What to read next Planned Saudi megacity 'The Line', designed for 9 million people across 170km, could be redesigned as a far smaller data center Nvidia's next-gen full Earth-2 digital twin AI models will predict and forecast the next big storm faster and more accurately Orbital is planning to launch AI data centers into space to solve power and cooling issues

Zhengyao Lu, a climate scientist at Lund University, called the new work
"very stimulating" but noted this concern.

Branch is hopeful that the idea could be tested in the real world, noting
that solar farms coming online in China are nearly large enough.

He suggests planting dark, drought-tolerant crops such as jojoba shrubs between panel rows to enhance the effect.

The UAE funded Branch's modeling research, but the country remains committed to its cloud seeding program, carrying out approximately 300 missions each year.

This implies that local authorities are not yet convinced that solar-induced rainfall is a practical alternative.

According to Branch and his team, this model could work in other arid
regions, including Namibia and Mexico's Baja Peninsula.

If future research validates these findings, the rainmaking potential of
solar farms could provide an unexpected incentive for expanding renewable energy in the world's driest regions. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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