Comments on: Will Obama Champion Space-Based Solar Power? http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/12/21/will-obama-champion-space-based-solar-power/ Patriotism that loves our country, our land, and our planet Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:35:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: rewinn http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/12/21/will-obama-champion-space-based-solar-power/comment-page-1/#comment-18659 rewinn Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:30:37 +0000 http://redgreenandblue.org/?p=1777#comment-18659 Space-based solar has some advantages, but the "intensity" referred to in the article is both a plus and a minus. In space, you can't just dump excess heat into a handy river. The cost of building and maintaining orbital infrastructure is vastly greater than over equivalent ground installations. No doubt something could be put together and it might actually work someday, but it's not going to be cheap and it's not getting up there quick. And anyone with a creative mind can think of lots of nasty things to do with a megawatt microwave transmitter in geostationary orbit. Do we really think our international competitors will trust us never to accidentally zap their satellites? There's nothing wrong with a little R+D, and orbital solar as a means of powering space devices is definitely better than putting more plutonium in orbit. But let's not kid ourselves that it could be up and running before the smart grid/battery cars system. Space-based solar has some advantages, but the “intensity” referred to in the article is both a plus and a minus. In space, you can’t just dump excess heat into a handy river. The cost of building and maintaining orbital infrastructure is vastly greater than over equivalent ground installations.

No doubt something could be put together and it might actually work someday, but it’s not going to be cheap and it’s not getting up there quick.

And anyone with a creative mind can think of lots of nasty things to do with a megawatt microwave transmitter in geostationary orbit. Do we really think our international competitors will trust us never to accidentally zap their satellites?

There’s nothing wrong with a little R+D, and orbital solar as a means of powering space devices is definitely better than putting more plutonium in orbit. But let’s not kid ourselves that it could be up and running before the smart grid/battery cars system.

]]> By: OrbitalSolar-AllTheW http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/12/21/will-obama-champion-space-based-solar-power/comment-page-1/#comment-18624 OrbitalSolar-AllTheW Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:09:12 +0000 http://redgreenandblue.org/?p=1777#comment-18624 There is no reason whatsoever not to start on orbital solar right now. The money that goes to NASA salaries and to solar panel makers will also be spent in the broader economy. It's an excellent part of an overall stimulus package and certainly more worthy than a Big Three bailout not to even mention the absurd financial black hole of the banking system. Sure we need short-term solutions like solar thermal, long-term commitments to photovoltaic incentives and wind too. But calling wind near term compared to orbital solar is misleading since the electricity that wind creates basically needs a smart grid which implies massive adoption of plug-in hybrid cars. That's not short term by any means. The only real short term alternative is solar thermal because it produces the kind of stable electricity that the current grid can make use of without major changes. There is no reason whatsoever not to start on orbital solar right now. The money that goes to NASA salaries and to solar panel makers will also be spent in the broader economy. It's an excellent part of an overall stimulus package and certainly more worthy than a Big Three bailout not to even mention the absurd financial black hole of the banking system.

Sure we need short-term solutions like solar thermal, long-term commitments to photovoltaic incentives and wind too. But calling wind near term compared to orbital solar is misleading since the electricity that wind creates basically needs a smart grid which implies massive adoption of plug-in hybrid cars. That's not short term by any means.

The only real short term alternative is solar thermal because it produces the kind of stable electricity that the current grid can make use of without major changes.

]]> By: Erik van Erne, Milie http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/12/21/will-obama-champion-space-based-solar-power/comment-page-1/#comment-18560 Erik van Erne, Milie Sun, 21 Dec 2008 22:57:56 +0000 http://redgreenandblue.org/?p=1777#comment-18560 May be, but first we need the short term solutions. Repower America: <a href="http://www.stichtingmilieunet.nl/andersbekekenblog/?p=6017" rel="nofollow">http://www.stichtingmilieunet.nl/andersbekekenblo...</a> May be, but first we need the short term solutions.

Repower America: http://www.stichtingmilieunet.nl/andersbekekenblo…

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