The concept of SBSP (Space
Based Solar Power) was theorized over 40 years ago by renowned scientist Dr.
Peter Glaser. Since then, in response to periodic energy crises, the idea has
been re-evaluated from
time to time by the U.S. Department of
Energy, NASA, major
aerospace companies and
countries such as China, Japan and India. Their
studies generally concluded that there is no technical barrier to implementing SBSP; rather, the principal
impediment has been economics -- the
ability to provide SBSP at a
cost that is competitive with other energy sources...
However, as we rapidly run
out of affordable non-renewable fossil fuel sources of energy and
before competition to access what remains becomes too aggressive risking international
conflict, the imperative is to find long term alternative
sources of base load
renewable energy that are also environmentally friendly before
catastrophic Climate Change
becomes irreversible.
Energy generated from Uranium fuelled
nuclear fission is not a viable long
term alternative to fossil fuel generated energy, particularly
when taking into account the costs for radioactive waste safe storage and disposal as
well as lengthy decommissioning and decontamination costs
that can run into billions over a
period of sixty years or more after the power plant is closed down.
Moreover, global non-renewable supplies of uranium are now limited.
Energy derived from Thorium fuelled nuclear fission is
experimental at this stage and might become
an important contributor to the
base load global energy mix.
Energy derived from earth bound nuclear fusion
remains a distant
possibility but, why would we want to create a nuclear fusion reactor on
earth when we already have one in the form of the sun freely pouring
infinite amounts of clean energy over us?
Why are we spending billions on this unproven technology when
we could be harnessing the sun’s energy from space with already proven
technology for a fraction of the cost? After 50 years of trying unsuccessfully
to prove the science of fusion power with no conclusion as to its commercial viability,
this represents an extraordinary waste of taxpayers’ money and simply does not
make any sense at all.
There is only one reliable, clean and
secure source of renewable energy with the potential to meet all future global
base load demand for energy in perpetuity and that is Space Based Solar Power. All
we have to do is reach up and capture this energy.
Hundreds,
possibly even thousands of Communication satellites have been using similar technology
for decades to broadcast Satellite TV and Radio worldwide - why not
take this a step further and broadcast or narrow-cast energy to where it is
needed by using microwave or laser technology to achieve SBSP from large solar
furnace or PV arrays in space?
The time has now come for international
government collaboration to create the commercial environment and incentives
that foster rapid development of
this new approach to generating energy well before the Energy Return on
Energy Invested to extract, refine and distribute conventional
oil and gas becomes no longer viable or affordable (also known
as the NEROEI).
The initial high capital costs can justifiably be amortised over a longer
period than usual because, once commissioned into service, the actual cost of
generating energy from the sun are virtually free from the onset.
Moreover, maintenance costs are low to non-existent when compared with
conventional power stations - there are hardly any moving parts to maintain
because the systems are essentially maintenance free solid state systems with
high reliability and built-in redundancy.
Energy companies and in particular oil and gas
companies with vast financial resources at their disposal, must start to think
about diversifying their operations into the new realm of SBSP by partnering with aerospace companies and
energy distribution companies to expedite the development of this energy source for
humanity's long term consumption. The sooner the better!
The Case for Space Solar Energy is explored in this book which
is exceptionally well written and easy to read even by those of you without a
technical background. John Mankins, the
author of this book, has appeared in a TED video on the
subject that is also well worth viewing.
A more detailed and lengthy presentation by John Mankins can be found here.
