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Solar orbital power: Sustainability analysis

Author

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  • Zidanšek, Aleksander
  • Ambrožič, Milan
  • Milfelner, Maja
  • Blinc, Robert
  • Lior, Noam

Abstract

Solar power plants positioned in space for terrestrial electricity use have been proposed due to the ever-rising world energy consumption and its environmental impacts. This idea is analysed here in the context of sustainability of such power generation. To that end we have performed some new economic, environmental and social effects analysis of electricity generation by solar space power plants of both photovoltaic and solar thermal types power using the best currently available technology. The plants in the analysis were assumed to be in different Earth orbits, or on the Moon built by a robotised factory. One of our results is that both economically and environmentally the best scenario may be to launch a thermal solar power plant to the geostationary orbit from the Moon. Electricity produced in this way could be economically competitive to that generated by fossil fuels on Earth already for as few as 100 space power plants of about 5–10 GW each. This option is also deemed socially responsible with its capacity to reduce poverty with large amounts of cheap clean energy, and environmentally friendly, because it produces more than a hundred times less emissions than the same amount of electricity produced from fossil fuels on Earth.

Suggested Citation

  • Zidanšek, Aleksander & Ambrožič, Milan & Milfelner, Maja & Blinc, Robert & Lior, Noam, 2011. "Solar orbital power: Sustainability analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 1986-1995.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:36:y:2011:i:4:p:1986-1995
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2010.10.030
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Loren M. Solnick, 1980. "The Employment Impact of Changing Energy Prices," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 6(2), pages 87-98, April.
    2. Rebut, P.H., 1993. "Perspectives on nuclear fusion," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 18(10), pages 1023-1031.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Hu, Dinghua & Li, Mengmeng & Li, Qiang, 2021. "A solar thermal storage power generation system based on lunar in-situ resources utilization: modeling and analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    2. Wijewardane, S. & Goswami, Yogi, 2012. "Exergy of partially coherent thermal radiation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 497-502.
    3. Lior, Noam, 2012. "Sustainable energy development (May 2011) with some game-changers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 3-18.
    4. Alonso, J. & Batlles, F.J., 2014. "Short and medium-term cloudiness forecasting using remote sensing techniques and sky camera imagery," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 890-897.
    5. Lior, Noam, 2013. "Mirrors in the sky: Status, sustainability, and some supporting materials experiments," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 401-415.
    6. Alonso, J. & Batlles, F.J. & López, G. & Ternero, A., 2014. "Sky camera imagery processing based on a sky classification using radiometric data," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 599-608.
    7. Lior, Noam, 2012. "Sustainable energy development: The present (2011) situation and possible paths to the future," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 174-191.
    8. Toro, Claudia & Lior, Noam, 2017. "Analysis and comparison of solar-heat driven Stirling, Brayton and Rankine cycles for space power generation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 549-564.
    9. Primož Jozič & Aleksander Zidanšek & Robert Repnik, 2020. "Fuel Conservation for Launch Vehicles: Falcon Heavy Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-10, February.
    10. Liu, Yiwei & Shen, Tianrun & Lv, Xiaochen & Zhang, Guang & Wang, Chao & Gu, Junping & Zhang, Xian & Wang, Qinggong & Chen, Xiong & Quan, Xiaojun & Yao, Wei, 2023. "Investigation on a lunar energy storage and conversion system based on the in-situ resources utilization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    11. Escrig, H. & Batlles, F.J. & Alonso, J. & Baena, F.M. & Bosch, J.L. & Salbidegoitia, I.B. & Burgaleta, J.I., 2013. "Cloud detection, classification and motion estimation using geostationary satellite imagery for cloud cover forecast," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 853-859.

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