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Post your comments for NASA Looks Into Satellites to Beam Solar Power Directly to Earth here

[EricinLA]

I can see this working in 50 years. Just not in our life time.

[RobertEmery]

I think the bridges to nowhere have been topped.

[JohnDodds]

Beaming solar power into the Earth results in global warming/climate change due to the increase in energy entering the Earth envelope. Be careful what you wish for!!

[JohnDodds]

Beaming solar power into the Earth results in global warming/climate change due to the increase in energy entering the Earth envelope. Be careful what you wish for!!

[AlexDonner]

wouldn't it be easier to build space elevators as collection units and pipe the power down

[DouglasCretsjng5]

And how will they get it up there, if they don't have a space program anymore?

[TimothyMcGraw]

My first question is why? What possible reason would there be to do this? PV panels in space are not likely to collect more energy than on earth. So why do this? What ever happened to the KISS principle? You know Keep it Simple Stupid! NASA is desperate for things to spend money on and this is a monumental waste of it.

[JohnnyMize]

TimothyMcGraw, on 12 April 2012 - 05:10 PM, said:

My first question is why? What possible reason would there be to do this? PV panels in space are not likely to collect more energy than on earth. So why do this? What ever happened to the KISS principle? You know Keep it Simple Stupid! NASA is desperate for things to spend money on and this is a monumental waste of it.

The atmosphere filters/reflects/breaks down much of the energy that the sun sends our way so if the panels are in space they would absorb more energy.

[JohnnyMize]

JohnDodds, on 12 April 2012 - 01:24 PM, said:

Beaming solar power into the Earth results in global warming/climate change due to the increase in energy entering the Earth envelope. Be careful what you wish for!!

Nope. If this was true then the Earth would constantly be getting warmer ever since it was created until finally it heated so much it would vaporize.

[ROBLAW]

Sounds awesome but what happens to birds or anything in the way of the beam? Also would it be powerful enough to start eroding the ozone layer? Sounds neat though.

[JaredAnderson]

TimothyMcGraw, on 12 April 2012 - 05:10 PM, said:

My first question is why? What possible reason would there be to do this? PV panels in space are not likely to collect more energy than on earth. So why do this? What ever happened to the KISS principle? You know Keep it Simple Stupid! NASA is desperate for things to spend money on and this is a monumental waste of it.

Gee, Tim, did you really think that you were smarter than these scientists with their gazillion PhDs and years of research experience in a highly technical field? It's already been pointed out, but solar PV panels in space DO collect more energy than on Earth. Aside from not getting absorbed in the atmosphere, you also don't have to worry about things like clouds.

[JaredAnderson]

JohnDodds, on 12 April 2012 - 01:24 PM, said:

Beaming solar power into the Earth results in global warming/climate change due to the increase in energy entering the Earth envelope. Be careful what you wish for!!

They are not beaming solar power into Earth, it's microwaves. In any case, that light energy would have hit Earth anyway, only this would be harnessing it for power generation.

[GridleyWu]

This idea has been around since the 70's. It is perfectly feasible, could be built within a decade, would be much more efficient than ground based solar (especially since it works 24 hours for most of the year), and the microwaves would be too weak (per sq meter) to harm birds, animals, people, or the atmosphere.

Will it happen? Probably not. Too much ignorance, fear, and stupidity in the world.

[BillHabedank]

This is not a good idea just like dynamite was the gift to mankind only to see its most useful purpose was to blow up each other in wars. This solar device in space would be used as a weapon to fry people on earth. It could also malfunction and send the beam right onto your house as well - that would keep you warm and toasty wouldn't it.

[gmnelson2009]

GMNELSON2009, on 14 April 2012 - 03:00 PM, said:

JaredAnderson, on 13 April 2012 - 04:50 AM, said:

JohnDodds, on 12 April 2012 - 01:24 PM, said:

Beaming solar power into the Earth results in global warming/climate change due to the increase in energy entering the Earth envelope. Be careful what you wish for!!

They are not beaming solar power into Earth, it's microwaves. In any case, that light energy would have hit Earth anyway, only this would be harnessing it for power generation.

not quite, you are bouncing energy (in whatever form) that would have gone past the earth back into the atmospheric envelope. whatever portion of the beam is not captured by the earth-side power stations will be converted into heat on striking the ground (also a portion while traversing the atmosphere), adding to the bad thermal increases already ocurring.
I feel the better answer is increasing what we already have in the way of solar/wind and oceanic wave sources with some adjustments (p.e.: 1. solar panels could be added to the land surrounding windmill generators <double the use of the land surface, the windmill covers the night-time/base load while the solar panels cover the day-time/peak load>, 2. a fotovoltaic solar power surface could be married to a solar energy heat-exchanger core to useably recover a larger fraction of energy striking the unit(s), 3. to lessen the amount of solar energy being absorbed and converted to heat we should find ways to lighten the color of exposed man-made objects <roof tops, street/highway surfaces, etc.>)

This post has been edited by gmnelson2009: 14 April 2012 - 07:22 AM