SOLAR SATELLITES TO POWER HOMES

Energy drawn from solar panels in space could be next new source of clean and renewable energy powering homes in California, within eight years...

 Science fiction writers have long dreamt of the idea of space stations transmitting solar power to Earth. Soon, California’s state energy firm – the Pacific Gas and Electric company (PG&E) – is set to turn science fiction to reality, with the help of a space solar power (SSP) plant.
    “This will be the world’s first SSP plant,” said Gary Spirnak, CEO of Solaren, who is working on the technology with PG&E. “While a system of this scale and exact configuration has not been built, the underlying technology is very mature and is based on existing communications satellite technology.”
    Experts say that harnessing solar power in space has advantages over terrestrial systems, with the primary reason being that space solar arrays are never obscured by clouds or bad weather. Another reason cited is that such cells receive pure sunlight, as opposed to rays filtered by the Earth’s various gaseous layers.
    As for the amount of potential energy: According to a study by the US’ National Space Security Office, a single kilometre-wide band of geosynchronous earth orbit experiences enough solar flux in one year to almost equal the energy contained within all known recoverable conventional oil reserves on Earth today.
    Solaren builds on existing technology in its plans.
    “For over 45 years, satellites have collected solar energy in earth orbit via solar cells, and converted it to radio frequency energy,” Spirnak said. “We use the same energy conversion process for our SSP plant.”
200 MEGAWATTS BY 2016
In the Solaren system, the company will send up a solar-power satellite that would consist of mirror arrays up to several kilometres wide, which would focus sunlight onto photoelectric cells.
    The electrical power generated would be converted into a microwave beam directed towards Earth. Once receiving stations on terra firma pick up the beam, they will convert it back into electricity.
    The technology is touted as being carbon-free and safe, as it utilises energy outside of earth’s ecological system and produces no by-products.
    According to the company, the system could generate roughly 1.2 to 4.8 gigawatts of power, at a price comparable to that of other renewable energy sources.
    Solaren has committed to start generating 200 megawatts of power by 2016, Spirnak said. IANS HOW IT WORKS

 

 

 

 

1. The space satellite has mirror arrays that focus direct sunlight onto its photoelectric cells 2. The electric power generated is converted into microwave energy and beamed towards earth via radio frequency 3. A power grid on Earth then converts these microwave beams back into electrical power 4. The power from the grid can then be used to light up homes and businesses

 

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