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Following the anvil on a cable in space question. why not attach a couple of wires to a load of solar panels floating in orbit? solving all our energy problem needs. or cover the sahara with solar panels. aparts from a few scorpions and nomads who's it gonna hurt?
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well...cost is number one.....no jobs for people in the energy field is number 2....and maintenance would be difficult....all the way out in the desert? as you can see..energy has alot of problems....people with solar panels on their houses are killing energy companies..i dont blame those home owners though.....as far as the space problem...it costs like 1 million per pound to send things in outer space....what if its too fragile and breaks? what if it hits something? well, whatever goes out there must come down.....and things do fall from outerspace all the time...
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1. Solar panels are extremely inefficient, on the order of only 1-2% efficient.
2. The cost is so high, it is not worth it. The panels cost far more than any "free" electricity.
3. The cable from space would be too heavy, and air resistance would bring the solar panels down.
Instead, use mirrors to concentrate the sunlight, and use it to drive a steam turbine. The efficiency can easily be over 90% if done properly, yielding about 1,000 watts per square meter at high noon at the equator. A mere 20 square kilometers would provide about 360 megawatts. and 2/3 of the energy can be stored for evenings and cloudy days.
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Ok, I'm just going to clarify the solar panel efficienty thing.. there are three generations of solar panels, and their efficiencies vary. The world record for efficiency is 42% power efficiency. They are by no means inneficient.
The biggest issue with using solar cells is money and politics. Nuclear power is much more efficient, safer, and creates fewer by-products. But the US government isn't jumping on the nuclear bandwagon yet, because of politics.
