Fun with Global Warming
Finally got around to the economist’s technology quarterly for Q4’2008. I always find the articles fascinating, and this issue was no exception.
Probably the most interesting article in this issue, “Let the Sun Shine In”, discusses Space Solar Power, an alternative energy option that is enjoying some renewed interest. What is it? Well, deploy a satellite with solar panels and then beam the resulting energy captured to earh using microwaves (“RF energy”). Seriously. The panels would collect solar power 24 hours a day, and because the atmosphere doesn’t get in the way and scatter light, panels can produce 5 times the energy that the same panels produce on earth.
The Discovery Channel got wind of recent advancements in the technology and funded a test in which a microwave beam was transmitted over 148km and produced energy on the receiving end. I haven’t been able to figure out the efficiency of the transfer (how many watts received for watts sent). The experiment was documented on the Discovery Channel “Project Earth” show in September, 2008 – I would be interested in seeing it.
According to the article, the technology could deliver a KWh at $0.50 using today’s technology and the most optimistic estimate. Compare that to Portland’s KWh cost at about $0.10, and it doesn’t seem very attractive, but as space travel becomes more commercialized, this technology just might become viable, and in remote regions where power grid infrastructure is difficult or impossible, it may be an excellent alternative.
On the humorous side, the economist reported on the flooding in Venice last December. OK, the flooding wasn’t funny, but wakeboarding in St. Mark’s Square is. Impressive stunt! And it appears that he didn’t even get arrested for it. See it on youtube.
I’ve forgotten the much of my EE knowledge, but it seems to me that wireless transmission of energy is generally a problem. Even if you ignore the difficulties and inefficiencies, there’s still the existence of a high-energy beam which, it would seem, is not generally something you want to have around people.
So in the best case, you’d have to keep people away from your receiving array, as well as out of its airspace. Easy enough if you only have one. But if this is the future, that would seem to create an interesting problem for the FAA. And heaven help us if the satellite’s mirror goes out of wack and suddenly redirects its high-energy beam a mile or more away, where there might be people living, with whatever health problems that might result in.
Or do I not have any idea what I’m talking about?
The technology is apparently no different than a microwave, so it can definitely inflict damage. I think the idea is that they do a wide swath of low energy density beams instead of one high density beam. For this technology to become real, they will have to work through these kinds of issues. This page describes some of the claims on the microwaves and their potential for harm. They mention things like birds and monkeys getting in the way of the beams. There is also some concern that the beams will actually heat the atmosphere, thus causing the same problem the technology is trying to solve.