2023-06-10 07:26:14
Scientists from the California Institute of Technology have installed solar panels in space. Thanks to the efficiency of their prototype solar station in orbit, they have succeeded in transferring energy from space to Earth. Environmental nonsense for some specialists.
To achieve this technological feat, the team of scientists from California Institute of Technology built a structure carrying photovoltaic cells and coupled it with a set of microwave energy emitters.
If the system worked on Earth, scientists were uncertain about the feasibility of transmitting this energy from space to our planet. Their doubts were dispelled by these first tests conducted above our heads.
>> To read also: Space solar panels to solve the energy crisis?
The advantage of capturing solar energy in space lies in the fact that it is constantly available. Outside the atmosphere, sunlight is up to 11 times more intense than on Earth. There are no seasons, no day or night, and especially no clouds. According to calculations, in space it would be possible to produce eight times more power than with solar panels placed anywhere on Earth.
>> To see: the video presentation of the orbital solar station prototype developed by a team of Caltech scientists
environmental nonsense
In theory, this discovery could be a revolution, but it raises several problems. First, sending solar panels into space is expensive and emits a lot of CO2. Secondly, and above all, it involves risks, because passing several gigawatts through our atmosphere can have effects, in particular on the temperature of our planet.
Many specialists are skeptical. For Volker Gass, vice-president of innovation at EPFL, this type of project is environmental nonsense. This amounts to bringing energy from outside the Earth system, with the risk of accentuating climate change. The solutions exist on Earth, it would be enough to develop them.
According to some specialists, if we managed to capture all the solar rays that fall on our planet (including the oceans), in three days it would be possible to cover the annual needs of all of humanity. In other words, there is no need for space solar stations, but solid projects firmly anchored on Earth. And perhaps it will be necessary to resolve to consume less to preserve the balance of our planet.
Subject radio: Sophie Iselin
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