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Our sun is the most readily available source of energy, but harnessing its incredible power is a challenge for mankind. Solar parks in sunny areas of the Earth convert sunlight into usable energy, but major disadvantages remain.
On the one hand, solar panels placed on the planet can only capture sunlight for part of the day and the weather can greatly affect their ability to create electricity. Now, China thinks it has a solution to both of these problems and will test its idea in the coming years.
In a new report from China Daily Science and Technology, as spotted by the Sydney Morning Herald, the country's plans for a solar-powered farm are revealed. Rather than an energy gathering facility on Earth, China plans to launch a solar energy collection station in Earth orbit.
The use of a solar space station instead of a ground station not only eliminates weather conditions, but also allows the station to stay in full sun 24 hours a day. According to the report, China is considering a system that allows the spacecraft to capture solar energy and send it to receiving stations on Earth as a laser or microwave beam. The electricity would then be introduced into the electricity grid in the form of electricity.
According to the report, the country plans to test the concept between 2021 and 2025 with small orbital power plants, then move to the next solar station around the megawatt by 2030. In the long term, a spacecraft capable of operating at gigawatt is planned but it's a few decades later.
This is a very interesting idea and if China manages to make it work reliably, it may be a viable and relatively green energy solution, but there is still a lot of work to be done before it can be made such a judgment.
Source of the image: Justus de Cuveland / imageBROKER / Shutterstock
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