Dusty desert conditions may be better for solar energy, UTEP study suggests

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The dust-prone desert of the Borderland may be ideal for solar energy, a new study at the University of Texas at El Paso found.

Thursday, UTEP shared findings from a study conducted in Alamogordo, New Mexico, where researchers monitored six solar panels from 2022-2024. Twenty-two dust events happened during the research timeframe, UTEP said.

Results suggested solar panels in Alamogordo lose only 2-3% of their power output when dust gets on them.

UTEP said that's much lower compared to solar facilities in other deserts around the world. At sites in Iran or China, soiling losses reach 10-80%, according to UTEP.

The Borderland's wind and rain patterns help solar facility operators clean their panels less frequently, UTEP said.

"What we found is that this location is genuinely favorable for solar energy, not just because of its abundant sunshine but because of how the dust behaves here," said German Rodriguez Ortiz, the study's lead author.

Rodriguez Ortiz said gypsum, the mineral blown from White Sands, is less harmful to solar panel performance compared to other dust around the globe.

Gypsum, the mineral blown from White Sands, absorbs less light, meaning its interference with panel performance is limited. With the regions' weather patterns lowering demand for cleaning panels, operators are saving water, labor and costs, UTEP said.

"Our location in the Chihuahuan Desert is not just a backdrop — it is a living laboratory, and this work shows how deeply understanding your local environment can generate insights with real economic and energy consequences for the region," Thomas E. Gill, co-author of the study.

UTEP's study published in a journal, Atmosphere, in April 2026.