Where the Sun Always Shines

Of all the alternatives to generating electrical power over fossil fuel or nuclear technology, solar power is probably the one that has the most promise. The biggest challenge to it becoming our sole source of power is that the sun only shines part of the day, and then many days are too cloudy to allow the necessary light to contact solar panels.

One way to get around this challenge is to place solar panels where the sun always shines and there are no clouds - in space.  In synchronous orbit  around earth, they can collect energy and with the appropriate microwave technology, and beam that energy to earth 24/7/365, as they say.

Turns out this idea is not new, but technology and cost have be kept it from becoming a reality. However, China has just announced that it plans to put a solar power station in orbit by 2050. That is also when it is predicted that there will be 9 billion people on earth who will need every watt of electricity that can be produced.  No details of their solar power station have been forthcoming from the Chinese, however a team of researchers at Cal Tech are keeping a close eye on developments, and are working on various strategies for space-based solar power stations.

Ali Hajimiri, professor of electrical engineering at Cal Tech, says that with a continuous source of light from the sun, not subject to the earth's atmosphere, such power stations could have eight to nine times the solar energy available.  This could mean a solar power station in space producing 2,000 gigawatts whereas the most efficient earth based solar power station currently produces less than 2 gigawatts, a 1,000 to 1 difference.  That has certainly gotten the attention of the Chinese, and it certainly has gotten my attention. - Dr. Tom

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