News about Solar, Wind and alternative green power technologies

Just the thought of being able to produce solar power generation from space based solar power plants has had many in the industry simply giddy from expectation. Through numerous joint ventures linking private companies and space organizations such as NASA and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency or [JAXA], ambitious proposals are being made to further space deployed solar installations. However the naysayers have chimed in with their negativity stating the idea and expectations are misguided since technical issues are much to challenging for anything to occur within the next five or ten years at least.

They are not saying the plans are impossible by any means to build and install a project like this in space. Technology is not lacking in any way that would thwart any space venture, but the idea of taking such a complex undertaking from planning to launching is quite a long haul. Authorities in the know simply refer to the International space station [ISS] as an example of the type of toil and tears linked to such a magnificent project. The biggest hurdle according to critics is that the agreements contain promises which are unlikely to be met in the time frames the partners have agreed to.

Only recently the US company Solaren Corp. was prepared to complete an agreement with PG&E, Pacific Gas and Electric. The contract stated the former was required to provide the latter with power from a space based solar installation by 2016. The plan was brought up by California regulators during one of their sessions. That objective seems unreachable given that logistically they cannot deploy a complex unit of this type at this time. There is also no transportation available like a space shuttle from which space technicians could begin their extra vehicular activity or [EVA] while they put together the solar unit.

With a plan to utilize interlocking components that fit automatically, there should have been research undertaken some time ago. Having acquired experience from different space agencies over the years, an undertaking like this one cannot be expected to be competed in only five or six years, but having said that, nothing is beyond reach. JAXA for instance, has a much more achievable objective for their plan, stating their initial power project in space would be good to go in the 2030’s. Some experts suggest that we are treating space based solar power generation as if it is in a desperate race against coal.

The multifarious challenge to harnessing the sun’s energy from space based platforms comes from the fact that the unit cannot be secured to earth. It requires a means of power transmission for the electricity back to the earth stations. Scientists involved believe this can happen using lasers [highly capable, but face challenges from cloud cover] or microwave technology which transmit less electricity but are able to infiltrate the cloud cover. A final decision on power transport will be made eventually. The exciting thing is that a space based solar plant would alleviate the problem of the day-night issue of solar power as well as inconsistent weather.