According to a new study, the area used for golf courses in the world is more than the area occupied by wind and solar power plants!
38,400 golf courses cover vast areas of land around the world. Just the 10 countries with the most golf courses could install up to 842 GW of solar power or 659 GW of wind power capacity using 25% to 75% of their land.
The US, the UK and Japan are among the countries with the most golf courses. According to the study, if solar panels were installed on 75% of golf courses in these countries, they could generate more than the total installed solar capacity.
While golf courses use large amounts of water and chemicals, renewable energy plants offer a sustainable use of land. Researchers estimate that 1 MW of solar power requires 0.01 km² of land, while 1 MW of wind power requires 0.12 km².
This study does not advocate converting golf courses, but it does highlight the need to rethink our land use priorities. Utilizing large areas of unused or underutilized land for the global energy transition could accelerate the transition to renewable energy.