Space Based Solar Power:
Is It Feasible?

Discussion of space based solar electricity generation has cropped up again, this time prodded into the limelight by former NASA scientist John Mankins. The proposal is to build a series of kilometer wide solar stations in geostationary earth orbit that would beam down energy to receiving stations on earth. Details of the proposed series of experiments are given here.

Areas For Concern

There are several issues that spring to mind when considering a project such as this.

First, the space based solar platform would be hideously expensive to both build and maintain. Becoming dependent on energy from sources such as this would lead to long term power disruption if the power plant was damaged. Damage would come mainly in the form of micro meteorites or space debris, neither of which can be tracked.

I'm sure the same amount of cash needed for a project like this could be used to build and run many high production thin film solar panel factories. Having a squad of such factories on the go non-stop would be a big boost to any nation's energy supply.

Secondly, a station like this is harvesting additional solar energy that would otherwise not have reached the earth. That means an overall increase in the amount of energy in the atmosphere. This is the primary concern with the burning of fossil fuels, so it would seem foolish to repeat this problem with green technology. The beauty of land based solar energy is that it transforms energy already reaching the surface of the earth into electricity.

Thirdly, getting the energy to the earth can be a messy business. Two options are to beam it down either by microwave or by laser. Either way there would be a great deal of energy in the beam. That's all well and good as long as the beam does not go off course, and as long as it doesn't have any bad effects on the atmosphere on the way down.

Summary

I've always fancied the idea of space travel and the like, and while a project like this would be a spectacle in its own right there are far too many problems to make it practical. The money would be better spent manufacturing millions of cheap solar panels and putting them on every available surface that's not already in use. That way everyone would have access to electricity without the need for immense mains grid infrastructure.

Top Of Page