Topic: The Race For Solar Power From Space

[Libertas]

Solar has limited use on land IMO, in areas free of damaging storms and prevalent cloud cover sure, but in general most do not live in such areas.

Solar form space sounds nice, what could go wrong?

https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/race-solar-power-space

But there are some warning flags...

*Public-Private partnerships...be wary of agendas.

*Massive solar panels in space...how will these hold up to space junk, cosmic events like solar flares and deliberate attack?

*Cost...how will this compare to all other forms of energy production?

Also, this should not draw resources away from fusion development...I think that has a lot more potential and benefit than solar.

One interesting note in this..."wirelessly transmit electricity"...one must give a hat-tip to Nikola Tesla... 

[benb61]

Solar has limited use on land IMO, in areas free of damaging storms and prevalent cloud cover sure, but in general most do not live in such areas.

Solar form space sounds nice, what could go wrong?

https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/race-solar-power-space

But there are some warning flags...

*Public-Private partnerships...be wary of agendas.

*Massive solar panels in space...how will these hold up to space junk, cosmic events like solar flares and deliberate attack?

*Cost...how will this compare to all other forms of energy production?

Also, this should not draw resources away from fusion development...I think that has a lot more potential and benefit than solar.

One interesting note in this..."wirelessly transmit electricity"...one must give a hat-tip to Nikola Tesla... 

I've studied this at Boeing, many issues like 1) beam transmitting energy from space has major power transmission issues (drops depending on local weather at the receiving site) when coming through the atmosphere, 2)  this would create large no fly zones as that beam could do anything from disrupting electronics to destroying an aircraft, 3)  same issue for birds migration patterns as for aircraft, could end up making many avian species extinct,  4) as mentioned above space debris, 5) cost of launching and maintaining a solar array that large is exorbitantly high, etc.

[Libertas]

Solar has limited use on land IMO, in areas free of damaging storms and prevalent cloud cover sure, but in general most do not live in such areas.

Solar form space sounds nice, what could go wrong?

https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/race-solar-power-space

But there are some warning flags...

*Public-Private partnerships...be wary of agendas.

*Massive solar panels in space...how will these hold up to space junk, cosmic events like solar flares and deliberate attack?

*Cost...how will this compare to all other forms of energy production?

Also, this should not draw resources away from fusion development...I think that has a lot more potential and benefit than solar.

One interesting note in this..."wirelessly transmit electricity"...one must give a hat-tip to Nikola Tesla... 

I've studied this at Boeing, many issues like 1) beam transmitting energy from space has major power transmission issues (drops depending on local weather at the receiving site) when coming through the atmosphere, 2)  this would create large no fly zones as that beam could do anything from disrupting electronics to destroying an aircraft, 3)  same issue for birds migration patterns as for aircraft, could end up making many avian species extinct,  4) as mentioned above space debris, 5) cost of launching and maintaining a solar array that large is exorbitantly high, etc.

If you have any laser pointer you can easily see the power/intensity drop off over distance...and yeah all the other stuff you added...

There is a lot on the negative side of an analysis they seem to be unconcerned about...

But true believers, ya know?   

[Libertas]

Space debris...

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/visualizing-worlds-space-debris-country-responsible

Russia wins!  America runner-up...China in third and gaining fast...