Ben Bova, the president emeritus of the National Space Society, recently suggested an incredible solution to the world’s energy crisis. Instead of taking solar panels and sticking them on your roof, he wants to send photovoltaic arrays off into space and beam solar energy down to earth. Since they are constantly exposed to the sun, such solar power satellites could provide a continuous stream of 5-10 gigawatts of energy!
In a recent Washington Post article Mr. Bova explains that the technology is not as farfetched as one would think. We already know how to send materials into space, and we have built large superstructures in zero-gravity environments (think the space station), so perhaps building a giant solar collector in space is not entirely out of the question.
His proposal is to build and launch solar power satellites – large photovoltaic arrays that constantly convert sunlight into electricity and use microwaves to beam that energy back to earth-bound receiving stations. According to Mr Bova, a single one of these satellites would send enough energy to power all of California. Since one would need a large surface to collect all of this energy, the best locations for receiving stations are dry areas such as the Nevada Desert or the Sahara.
Although the costs involved are fairly astronomical, the technology exists today, and this is not the first space-bound solar proposal that we have seen. So, what do you think – should someone give it a try?
Via Treehugger
This idea is very appealing to technophiles. However this would be (pun intended) astronomically expensive, especially considering that sunlight falls on the ground for free. All we have to do is pick it up and use it. Technologies such as roof-top photovoltaics and solar hot water panels have been available for decades and work very well. Even in drizzly Seattle, more than enought solar power falls on a building (roof and south facade) to keep the occupants happy and productive.
I think it is much more beneficial to have each building become energy self-sufficient with its own solar power supply than to have a single power plant in orbit beaming power to the surface. Large central power plants are an old model. Distributed generation is more robust and should be the future.
Orbiting power stations may make a few people very rich, but I think it is un-neccessary. Money would be better spent developing better energy storage technologies.