Space based solar power
Discussion
UK Govt spending money on exploring the feasibility of space based solar power:
Surprised this hasn’t been discussed before.
UK Govt said:
The UK government has commissioned new research into space-based solar power (SBSP) systems that would use very large solar power satellites to collect solar energy, convert it into high-frequency radio waves, and safely beam it back to ground-based receivers connected to the electrical power grid.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-commissions-space-solar-power-stations-researchSurprised this hasn’t been discussed before.
It’s an old concept. I have a report dated from the 1970s on the feasibility.
It’s all possible, other than the transmission. You end up firing a jeffing massive microwave beam at earth. Three problems that are largely insurmountable:
- it’s massively inefficient
- anything that flies through it, dies
- if the satellite tracking goes wrong, you have a death beam pointing at Earth
It’s all possible, other than the transmission. You end up firing a jeffing massive microwave beam at earth. Three problems that are largely insurmountable:
- it’s massively inefficient
- anything that flies through it, dies
- if the satellite tracking goes wrong, you have a death beam pointing at Earth
Doesn't say what frequency they'd use; won't be easy finding one that's available and not absorbed too much by the atmosphere.
Presumably the satellite would have to be in geostationary orbit, and the receiver close to the equator for maximum efficiency; so not sure how you'd get the power back to the UK.
Presumably the satellite would have to be in geostationary orbit, and the receiver close to the equator for maximum efficiency; so not sure how you'd get the power back to the UK.
That picture looks a bit more detailed than the ones from the latest programme:
From the Frazer-Nash website:
https://www.fnc.co.uk/discover-frazer-nash/news/fr...
From the Frazer-Nash website:
https://www.fnc.co.uk/discover-frazer-nash/news/fr...
We receive up to 1,000 W/m^2 of solar radiation at the Earth’s surface. It would be far cheaper and more efficient to just build PV arrays or solar collectors on all the world’s deserts. Beam the energy from there if you like, or if you want to transmit it more efficiently without frying anything that might stray into the path, high voltage cables work quite nicely.
MiseryStreak said:
We receive up to 1,000 W/m^2 of solar radiation at the Earth’s surface. It would be far cheaper and more efficient to just build PV arrays or solar collectors on all the world’s deserts. Beam the energy from there if you like, or if you want to transmit it more efficiently without frying anything that might stray into the path, high voltage cables work quite nicely.
This ^^^It's pointless. It's actually the same sort of stupid as "solar roadways" (google it if you haven't already heard about that total clusterf
k of stupid) in that the only reason you need to find "other" places to put solar panels is because you've run out of room, and that' s far, far, far, faaaar from the case.Space based is attractive because 24x7 power is achievable, and you aren’t locating your energy source in dodgy parts of the world. It’s a bit like the silliness with people suggesting 300 kW wireless charging is possible for electric cars because it works for phones - sure, it works, but you wouldn’t want to be that close to it when it was going on.
IMO space based power becomes viable when you’re doing heavy industry in space. There will be a sudden tipping point when people are going to want to make space vehicles in space, rather than on earth. To do that you need vast amounts of aluminium etc, and the idea of digging it out of holes in the ground and flying it up there is bonkers.
IMO space based power becomes viable when you’re doing heavy industry in space. There will be a sudden tipping point when people are going to want to make space vehicles in space, rather than on earth. To do that you need vast amounts of aluminium etc, and the idea of digging it out of holes in the ground and flying it up there is bonkers.
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