Whether you're covering deserts, ugly parking lots, canals, or even sunny lakes with solar panels, clouds will occasionally get in the way—and every day the sun must set. No problem, says the European Space Agency: Just put the solar arrays in space.
There’s another hurdle, though: How do you get all that energy down to the electricity grid? One could, but clouds would block them. Instead, Vijendran and his colleagues think converting the electricity to microwave radiation is the way to go. Those waves would seamlessly pass through the atmosphere without much energy loss.
But researchers are considering other designs too. For example, they could deploy three or more smaller arrays in a medium Earth orbit. Instead of functioning at a fixed point in the sky, as a single geosynchronous satellite would, they would form a relay. Each time one array rotated out of transmission range, another would take its place and continue to beam down energy. This could allow for nearly uniform, predictable solar power, gathered at multiple locations on the ground.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New Mars photo reveals scars from Red Planet's ancient pastThe European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft captured a stunning new view of the Red Planet's complex surface geology.
Read more »
SHINee's Key starts a bold game in new 'Killer' teaser clip | allkpopSHINee's Key has dropped another teaser clip.For his next solo comeback, Key will release his 2nd repackaged album, 'Killer.' In this new teaser, …
Read more »
“Red Balloon,” “Crash Course In Romance,” And “Three Bold Siblings” Soar To Their Highest Ratings Yet“Red Balloon,” “Crash Course In Romance,” And “Three Bold Siblings” Soar To Their Highest Ratings Yet
Read more »
Shania Twain on Her Red Hair and Bold 2023 GRAMMYs Look (Exclusive)Shania Twain is not afraid to switch up her hair color and put on a bold outfit. GRAMMYs
Read more »
2023 Grammys Red Carpet: Music's Biggest Stars Go for BoldTaylor Swift wore midnight blue. Sam Smith went for a Handmaids Tale-meets-ringmaster look. And Shania Twain...wait, what?
Read more »