In Nevada, the sun’s rays provide an abundant and clean form of energy but harnessing that potential can come at a cost. Water is needed to clean solar panels and mirrors as well as to cool solar thermal power plants, but water in the desert is a scarce resource. Consequently, to ensure that solar energy is a sustainable source of energy in arid desert environments, NEXUS scientists are investigating various ways to minimize water use while maximizing solar efficiency.
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The desert tortoise might be Nevada’s state reptile but rapid changes in fragile desert ecosystems could threaten its very existence. In the last 150 years, non-native animal and plant species, and new towns, roadways and railways have infiltrated the Mojave and western Sonoran Deserts, the stomping ground of the Desert Tortoise. It’s an evolution that has led to both habitat loss and habitat degradation for this iconic species.
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