Space Based Solar Panels Vs Earth Based Solar Panels

Space solar tech is built more durable and efficient.

Space based solar panels vs earth based solar panels.

Space based solar power is the concept of capturing solar energy in outer space and transferring it directly to earth or other nearby planets. Power for spacecraft propulsion electric propulsion sometimes called solar electric propulsion. It is hard to imagine accomplishing a factor of 100 reduction in launch costs. You can t collect solar power at night.

The biggest difference has to do with the overall quality and durability of the modules. Power to run the sensors active heating cooling and telemetry. Solar panels on spacecraft supply power for two main uses. Which is great but earth based solar panels have big drawbacks.

This receiver could either be on earth or on a high altitude platform aircraft other spacecraft or even on the surface of. Nasa in simple terms we would put some mechanism in outer space to capture the sun s energy almost continuously and transmit that energy to earth. Well at least not on earth. Research on space based solar power has been ongoing at caltech where professors harry atwater ali hajimiri and sergio pellegrino have received funding from the northrop grumman corporation to.

For both uses a key figure of merit of the solar panels is the specific power watts generated divided by solar array mass which indicates on a relative basis how much. While on the surface of the earth society still struggles to adopt solar energy solutions many scientists maintain that giant space based solar farms could provide an environmentally friendly. Space based solar power sbsp. Overall there are many similarities between space based solar panels and conventional solar panels.

Earth solar power versus space based solar power roof solar panels on buildings convert sunlight into energy during the daytime. In 1999 nasa initiated a 22 million study investigating the feasibility of space based solar power. Space based solar power satellites sps are large structures in space that convert solar energy captured as solar irradiation into a form of energy that is transmitted wirelessly wpt to any remote receiver station. Among their conclusions was that launch costs would need to come down to 100 200 per kg to make space based solar power economically competitive.