Electricity Production
Electricity production is the most visible application of solar energy. In fact, solar resources in Chile can not only fuel sustainable development in Chile but also supply electricity for export to other South American countries. Figure 7 shows
one vision for the future exportation of Chilean solar energy. In this scenario, foreseen for 2035, 30% of the electricity
consumption in South America can be supplied by solar energy plants located in the Atacama Desert with a total installed capacity of 200 GW. To accomplish this, 6,000 km2 or 15 locations measuring 400 km2 each would be required. This represents less than 1% of the Chilean continental surface and not quite 5% of the available space in the Atacama Desert.