What will it take for the mainstream energy community to look at space based solar power?
The greenest of all green energy sources.
Unlimited safe clean energy 24/7 daily delivered anywhere.
The best hope for displaced aerospace workers (short of world war 3).
The only power source with all these attributes is space based solar power.
Unlimited energy -> solar energy is unlimited
Clean energy -> solar energy is clean. Zero emission. Less waste heat than any other energy source. Minimal environmental impact.
Constant - 24/7 - a solar panel in space is constantly illuminated at full power, no outages due to weather or night time or seasons. No Storage needed.
Delivered anywhere -> the receiving array can be located anywhere on Earth for a fraction of the land area from a conventional solar array. No new power grids needed.
No technical breakthroughs required
What is the catch?
The main problem is the high cost of launching hardware into orbit. With economies of scale these costs will fall rapidly.
Next step: Need to design and build a demonstrator.
Space-based solar power can be developed into a source of clean energy to augment power grids around the World, on the Moon, and anywhere else humans are likely to go.
Space-based solar power already powers our satellites and space stations in orbit around Earth. The trick is to collect enough solar energy on orbit, convert it into a form of power that can be broadcast safely to Earth, and to do so economically.
Figuring out how to do this has been the subject of a number of studies over the past few decades. All of them concluded that space-based solar power as a source of clean energy on the Earth is scientifically feasible, but not technologically or economically viable at the time of those studies, the last occurring in the 1990s. However, the studies also find that space-based solar power is becoming more viable as time progresses because related technologies are making huge strides forward in many cases.
In 2007 we arrived at a general and growing consensus among most of humanity that the global demand for energy will soon exceed our ability to produce it. Complicating matters is environmental contamination brought about by the consumption of our traditional carbon-based fuels. Many believe our consumption of these fuels has irreparably damaged the environment though global warming.
If the technical hurdles associated with space-based solar power can be overcome, it will provide a clean alternative to carbon-based fuels. We do NOT want it to become the one-and-only energy source. We think prudent energy policy should dictate that numerous clean energy sources be developed and should be coupled with appropriate conservation efforts.
There are three basic reasons why going to space is preferred to ground-based solar power:
1. The sun is many time more intense on orbit than on the surface of the Earth. This means there is more energy to be collected. **(See note below)**
2. Unlike ground-based solar power systems which spend roughly half of their time in the darkness of night, space-based systems can be perpetually bathed in sunlight. This is an instant doubling of efficiency.
3. Ground-based systems suffer from weather phenomena such as clouds, precipitation, and dust. These are not worries in space.
Space-based solar power also has three major drawbacks:
1. Despite fifty years of spacefaring experience, getting to space is still hard and expensive. It costs thousands of dollars per pound to lift anything into space from Earth.
2. We have no experience assembling and sustaining objects on orbit of the scale that space-based solar power will require. Some designs suggest systems that are literally several square kilometers in size.
3. Although the efficiencies of collecting power on orbit are many times greater than what can be done on the surface of the Earth, there are significant power losses in converting energy and broadcasting energy both in orbit, during transmission to Earth receivers, and from the receiver into terrestrial power grids. Some calculations suggest space-based solar power can deliver only ten percent of the original collected power.
To make space-based solar power viable, the benefits have to outweigh the costs at a rate that ultimately makes it profitable for a commercial venture to take over such an enterprise.
Reprinted with permission from:
http://spacesolarpower.wordpress.com/about/
**Note: sunlight in space is only slightly more intense than sunlight on orbit, that phrase in the report could be clarified **
1) space, but micrometeroids and debris may punch a hole in the idea.
Response:
a) at geosynchronous orbit altitude there is no significant flux of space debris
b) micrometeoroids would be an occassional minor nuisance, the arrays can easily be repaired.
2) dirigibiles:
a) dirigibles do not have the 24/7 exposure to sunlight, they have most of the same weather problems as terrestrial panels,
b) it takes a lot of energy for the dirigble to maintain altitude if it is in the straosphere it has to fight the jet streams.
c) dirigible can only cover a small area, a GEO satellite can beam power to anywhere on the entire hemisphere beneath it.
How about a fleet of large dirigibles? Maintenance would be easier.
Dear Charles Frank Radley, Thank you very much for asking this very important question.
Question:
What will it take for the mainstream energy community to look at space based solar power
this is a very important issue that requires scientific research.
The issue of climate change, climate warming, rising average temperature on the Earth, the progressing greenhouse effect of the Earth and the associated new climate disasters is probably the most important topic for discussion, research and for human activity in the 21st century.
The topics related to the greenhouse effect on Earth, which are the subject of discussion, are particularly important and scientifically important and in the context of human life.
I wish you all good and best regards
I answer an interesting question:
Humanity has reportedly only had a decade of time for the necessary changes in the energy sector to avoid a global climatic catastrophe Much has to change in consumer awareness, business must change and different social groups should force policies and change legal regulations. It is necessary to develop co-financing of investment projects in the field of renewable energy sources by the state from public funds. In addition, businesses must see this business. The development of renewable energy sources should be profitable, and it is not because it is cheaper to mine minerals, to devastate the natural environment. It is cheap to run classic energy based on mineral combustion because this classic energy and mining industry of hard and brown coal, oil refinery industry, automotive industry of vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines etc. is not burdened with the costs of natural environment devastation, costs of treatment of people who suffer from due to poor air, smog and no negative effects of global warming. I invite you to the discussion.
If the mining, energy, processing and automotive industries were burdened with these costs, then it would not be worthwhile to devastate and pollute the natural environment. Then it would be more profitable to develop energy and industry based on renewable energy sources. Inventions of electricity have over 100 years of history. 100 years ago, electric cars should be produced, but the oil business this scenario of more sustainable development has crossed out. Therefore, for over 100 years, archaic energy based on the burning of minerals has been developed. During these 100 years, the average temperature of the Earth's surface has increased by 1 degree ° C. From specific scientific studies, it appears that humanity is only 12 years left to make the necessary changes, to switch energy and industry to renewable energy sources and the automotive industry to electromobility, to reduce poor quality of stoves and domestic ovens, on the development of large and small, home solar, wind and other power plants.
I invite you to the discussion.
At the same time, investment projects in renewable energy sources should be widely developed and entire economies should switch to sustainable pro-ecological development according to the concept of a green, new economy. If during this time these changes are not implemented then the average temperature of the Earth until 2030 will increase by another min. 1 degree ° C and then in the following years the greenhouse effect will accelerate and the problem of global warming will become an irreversible process, which will mean the widespread apocalyptic climate disasters covering most of the Earth's surface before the end of the 21st century.
I invite you to the discussion.
The above discussion inspired me to the following considerations:
How should the financing of the development of environment-friendly technologies be developed?
In my opinion, in the future the most important proecological technologies that should be improved and implemented are renewable energy technologies based on solar energy. Solar power plants should be developed. Commercial banks should provide loans for these purposes. However, in order for commercial financing programs to develop, the role of the State as potentially the main subject of financing large pro-ecological energy projects is also important. Similarly with nuclear energy, which is so very expensive to build, that without financial support from state finances, it would often not be possible to build a nuclear power plant.
In view of the above, I would like to ask you: How should the financing of the development of environment-friendly technologies be developed?
Please, answer, comments. I invite you to the discussion.
In addition, I note the interesting discussion inspired me to the following considerations:
Is solar energy safer for people and the environment compared to nuclear energy?
When comparing, for example, solar and atomic energy, many significant differences can be shown.
Solar energy is safer than nuclear energy. There are no environmentally hazardous radioactive waste in solar energy. In addition, solar power plants can be of any size, while nuclear power plants are usually very large investments and require huge financial outlays for the construction of a modern nuclear power plant.
But besides, many other energy technologies are being developed, energy innovations are being developed in the field of renewable energy sources, such as wind, water, or sea waves.
In addition, geothermal energy and the development of energy storage technologies. This is an important issue because the consumption of electricity is growing in many developing countries. In the future, electricity consumption may increase even more when electromobility starts to spread, ie electric cars will be produced and sold on a massive scale.
In view of the above, I am asking you: Which type of energy should be developed in the future?
Please reply. I invite you to the discussion
Should international cooperation be developed to solve problems related to the global warming?
In order to solve the problems related to the global warming of the Earth's climate, international cooperation should develop to develop a common global strategy of pro-ecological activities and sustainable development of the new green economy.
In December 2018, the United Nations climate summit in Katowice took place in Katowice. COP (Conference of the Parties) on climate policy on Earth. UN climate summits, i.e. COP (Conference of the Parties) are global conferences during which climate policy actions are negotiated. Poland twice hosted them - in 2008 in Poznań and in 2013 in Warsaw. In December 2018, the climate summit is held for the first time now in Katowice in Poland.
During this summit, conferences are held, discussions are held on the need to develop a sustainable development policy and the need for development of ecological, renewable energy sources in order to generate a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the future and ultimately reduce the average annual temperature rise on the Earth's surface. From the discussions it follows that it is necessary to develop eco-innovations, new pro-ecological energy sources, development of electromobility of transport means. It is necessary to develop and implement on a large scale renewable energy sources. In addition, it is important to increase the scale of afforestation, as forests and the flora contained in them absorb a large proportion of greenhouse gas emissions.
As part of this year's UN Climate Summit, the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24), 14th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 14) and the Conference of the Paris Agreement signatories (CMA 1) are held. About 20,000 people from 190 countries participate in the event, including politicians, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and scientific and business spheres.
Perhaps during this UN climate summit important and specific agreements, declarations and signed agreements on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will be taken. The present lectures show that in recent years the warming process of the Earth's climate has accelerated significantly and therefore, in the black scenario of future climate changes, the temperature on the Earth's surface can rise by 4 ° C to the end of the 21st century. If this happened, then the scale of climate-related cataclysms that are dangerous to humans, including droughts, floods, fires and weather anomalies in many places around the world, will increase many times. The problem is very serious globally and therefore a lot depends on whether international cooperation will develop in order to limit these problems and their negative effects.
In view of the above, I would like to ask you: Should you think that international cooperation should increase to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on Earth? In addition, another key question arises: how much of this international cooperation is possible, to what extent will real and effective measures be undertaken on the basis of the discussions and declarations undertaken to reduce greenhouse gases?
Please reply. I invite you to the discussion
Data source: http://cop24.katowice.eu
In my opinion, in the future the most important proecological technologies that should be improved and implemented are renewable energy technologies based on solar energy. Solar power plants should be developed. Commercial banks should provide loans for these purposes. However, in order for commercial financing programs to develop, the role of the State as potentially the main subject of financing large pro-ecological energy projects is also important. Similarly with nuclear energy, which is so very expensive to build, that without financial support from state finances, it would often not be possible to build a nuclear power plant.
In view of the above, I would like to ask you: How should the financing of the development of environment-friendly technologies be developed?
Please, answer, comments. I invite you to the discussion.
Well there are big technical issues before that can be achieved! The earth magnetosphere.
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