Could Solar Satellites Be the Key to Infinite Energy?

[MindMover]

While solar energy has long been touted as the key to solving the planet’s energy demands, the problem of efficiency has always hampered it. However, a team of engineers from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow believe that the key to solar energy isn’t here on Earth, but out in space.

The team is currently testing equipment that they believe would act as a platform for solar panels to collect the sun’s energy and allow it to be transferred back to earth through microwaves or lasers.

They hope that these ‘solar satellites’ would be able to provide the planet with a reliable source of power that would allow valuable energy to be sent to remote areas and provide power to areas that are difficult to reach by traditional means.

Dr. Massimiliano Vasile, of the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, who is leading the space-based solar power research, said: “Space provides a fantastic source for collecting solar power and we have the advantage of being able to gather it regardless of the time of the day or indeed the weather conditions.

“In areas like the Sahara desert where quality solar power can be captured, it becomes very difficult to transport this energy to areas where it can be used. However, our research is focusing on how we can remove this obstacle and use space based solar power to target difficult to reach areas.

“By using either microwaves or lasers we would be able to beam the energy back down to earth, directly to specific areas. This would provide a reliable, quality source of energy and would remove the need for storing energy coming from renewable sources on ground as it would provide a constant delivery of solar energy.

http://inhabitat.com/could-solar-satellites-be-the-key-to-infinite-energy/