San Pedro, ChileChile’s Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar place on Earth. It’s so dry that some parts of the desert have never seen a single drop of precipitation, and there’s rarely lasting cloud-cover. While these conditions are hostile for human life, domestic and international businesses think they’re just right to host enough solar panels to power all of South America.

To reach this lofty goal, renewable energy businesses are starting with small-scale test projects. And one small luxury resort in the middle of this harsh yet stunningly beautiful landscape hopes to be one such success story.

Located in the northern Chile town of San Pedro—a destination for adventure tourists and backpackers—is the unique Tierra Atacama Hotel and Spa. It sits