Space-Based Solar Power

Space-Based Solar Power | Energy Bulletin: A solar panel reaps only a small portion of its potential due to nigh...

Let’s do our own quick analysis. A standard rooftop panel delivers about 10 W per kilogram of mass (slightly better than this, but I will stick to round numbers). Let’s say a light-weighted version for space achieves an impressive factor-of-100 improvement: same power for 1% the mass. This gives 1 kW/kg. I might be grossly over-optimistic in this estimate, but we’ll see where it takes us. Ignoring other infrastructure overhead (wiring, propulsion systems, structural support, microwave transmission antenna, communications, etc.), we end up with a launch cost of $40 per delivered Watt, accounting for 50% delivery efficiency—and this is just the launch cost. I’ll bet the space-qualified ultralight PV panels are not as cheap as the knock-about panels we put on our roofs for $2/W. So maybe the cost of the space hardware, launch of all systems, and build-out of expansive ground ...

Full article: http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2012-03-21/space-ba...

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Space-Based Solar Power | Energy Bulletin: by Tom Murphy. space-solar A solar panel reaps only a small portion o... [link]
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dmsolar- Space-Based Solar Power | Energy Bulletin: In short, solar installations in LEO could at best provide i... [link]
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Space-Based Solar Power | Energy Bulletin: Any serious talk of solar power in space is based on geosynchronous o... [link]
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Space-Based Solar Power | Energy Bulletin: A solar panel reaps only a small portion of its potential due to nigh... [link]
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Space-Based Solar Power: A solar panel reaps only a small portion of its potential due to night, weather, and se... [link]
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Space-Based Solar Power | Energy Bulletin: Any serious talk of solar power in space is based on geosynchronous o... [link]
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Space-Based Solar Power | Energy Bulletin: Any serious talk of solar power in space is based on geosynchronous o... [link]
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Space-Based Solar Power | Energy Bulletin: Any serious talk of solar power in space is based on geosynchronous o... [link]
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Space-Based Solar Power | Energy Bulletin: Any serious talk of solar power in space is based on geosynchronous o... [link]
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Space-Based Solar Power | Energy Bulletin: A solar panel reaps only a small portion of its potential due to nigh... [link]
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