Solar panels have become a popular source of energy for people across the globe. Cost effective and planet-friendly, this alternative power source is now a providing real competition to traditional utility companies. The main downside to solar energy is how it looks. Aesthetically speaking, the bulky black tiles do little to add to your home’s curb appeal. They also require large amounts of shade-free space to capture the energy of the sun and transfer it into energy. For example, in order to generate enough solar energy to power the entire world, we would need to cover an area the size of Nevada in solar panels.
Scientists may have found a solution to this issue. Why not capture the energy of the sun from space? The idea of space-based solar power has been explored by energy researchers since the 1970’s. There are many benefits to constructing solar panels in space. The amount of energy capable of being harnessed and generated would be tremendous. Additionally, the lack of atmosphere would intensify the solar radiation that these panels would receive, increasing their efficiency.
Weather would not be a factor, allowing for the continuous acquisition of energy. It is possible to strategically place the panels in such a way that they would receive sunlight twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty five days a year. In addition, solar panels in space could potentially help to mitigate global warming. They would reduce carbon emissions here on Earth and decrease the amount of solar radiation that hits the Earth. This would have a cooling effect on Earth.
There are impediments to placing solar panels in space. While some experts believe that the potential benefits outweigh the obstacles, other experts are less optimistic. Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and a widely regarded expert on space travel, feels that the drawbacks are significant enough to re-think the plan.
Micrometeoroids, tiny pieces of rock or metal broken off from larger chunks of rock and debris, are constantly flying through space. Solar panels would be at risk of sustaining damage from these small meteors. Ordinary maintenance of in-space solar panels would likely be challenging, and intricate repairs would be nearly impossible to complete.
Another obstacle is the process of getting the electricity to Earth. This clearly wireless venture would require the electricity to be turned back into photons, and then beamed back to the Earth through microwave radiation. While it is possible to transmit electricity through microwaves, studies have only attempted to successfully transmit electricity using microwaves over short distances.
Some of the electricity generated by the solar panels would certainly be lost in transit. This could substantially reduce the efficiency of the design. There also are some safety concerns with the use of microwaves. In addition, the development of an effective antenna for receiving the microwaves and a system capable of beaming microwaves from space back down to Earth may be many years off.
Setting up solar panels in space is an expensive proposition. Certain designs of in-space solar panels, such as placing solar panels on the moon or an asteroid, are likely to remain impractical due to the high price tag. However, there are currently plans by NASA to team up with a private corporation to be able to perform construction in space robotically. This would reduce the expense of building in-space solar panels considerably and would reduce the expense associated with maintaining them.
In space solar panels are likely to be utilized at some point in the relatively near future. JAXA, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, is already making plans for the construction of in-space solar panels by the year 2030. Some private energy companies are working on plans to create in-space solar panels.
Given the expense and challenges with constructing and maintaining in-space solar panels, the scale of the project may be limited. It is unlikely that solar energy will ever fully replace fossil fuels. Other alternative energy sources are being explored and developed. If fusion energy is successfully created, the need for solar panels and traditional power sources would no longer exist. A fusion reactor opened in Germany in 2015 and is successfully producing energy. Fusion researchers in other parts of the world are teaming up with private investors to build small reactors. It will be interesting to see which of these advances leads the way in providing large-scale alternative energy for future generations.
