More and more countries are interested in the construction of solar farms. The largest in the world is in China and its power reaches 1000 MW. And how to go even further and build such huge installations in space?
This is the idea of the authorities of the Middle Kingdom. But why build in space as soon as you can on Earth, and will it pay off? Of course, yes, at least that's what scientists working on the project in Chongqing say. The point is that in space there are no such limitations as on Earth.
Solar panels located on hundreds of connected satellites can collect energy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, because there is no night in space. Also, weather phenomena will not affect the continuity of energy supply. Efficiency of even ordinary solar panels will be incomparably greater than on the Earth's surface.
China has ambitious plans. And they can afford it, because after the United States they have the largest budget for exploration of the cosmos. Already in the next 10 years, local companies want to send to orbit several hundred satellites that will create a constellation of solar farms.
China intends to build the first solar farm in space. Fig. CNSA.
If you think that they will power the installations in orbit, you're wrong. Their task will be to deal only with collecting and transferring energy to Earth. The transmission should take place thanks to lasers or infrared beams. Special ground stations will collect waves and deliver electricity to households as electricity.
The Middle Kingdom is not planning to build solar cells on Earth. Works are to be created in orbit, where ready-made elements will be built using 3D printers and installed on a regular basis by robots. The first experimental farm is to be placed in the stratosphere after 2021, and in space in 2030. At that time, it will have 1 MW, but as early as 2050, even 3 GW. Scientists have calculated that the installation will weigh 1,000 tons, or half more than the International Space Station.
Source: GeekWeek.pl/Electrek
Photo: CNSA