Solar Power from Space: A Reality in a Decade or Two?
Last month, researchers at the American Caltech successfully collected solar energy in space and beamed it back to Earth. This isn’t some sci-fi movie plot, folks! CBS takes a closer look at this in the video above, chatting with the scientists who developed this solution.
Beam Me Up, Scotty!
The report provides a closer look at these space-based solar panels and answers questions like "Could this be dangerous?" and "When can we see commercial solutions for space-based solar power?". The latter, of course, depends on how expensive it would be to send and build these facilities in space. Professor Ali Hajimiri from Caltech, who is interviewed in the report, believes that commercial solar power from space could be an option within the next 10 – 20 years.
Not Just a Star-Spangled Dream
Caltech and the USA aren’t the only ones experimenting with space-based solar power. Japan, China, and the EU are also working on developing solutions to collect solar energy in space and send it back to Earth. The advantage of collecting solar energy directly in space rather than on Earth is that you can collect energy 24 hours a day, year-round, without having to worry about clouds or other weather conditions that can negatively affect the collection of solar energy on Earth.
In conclusion, the future of energy might just be out of this world—literally! So, keep your eyes on the skies, and don’t forget your sunscreen.
Source: Feber
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