The world has been looking for alternative energy sources so that we won't have to rely on fossil fuels anymore. Luckily for us, technology has provided several options such as solar power among many others. And now, a study states that it might be possible to have solar farms in space.
Solar Farms in Space
It makes sense for people to develop solar farms that can be placed in space. Other than the massive area where it can operate, the panels will not be disturbed by Earth elements dust, weather, and the fact that most places only have sunlight for half a day.
While this is a brilliant idea, there are still a lot of technical, financial, and logistical obstacles to go through before it becomes possible. For instance, there's still no way to transmit the energy back to Earth once it has been collected.
We can't exactly install a long wire that connects the farms in space to the ground. The most suggested method is by beaming the energy to receiving stations on the ground using microwaves or lasers, as reported by Interesting Engineering.
Once the energy has been transmitted, it can be converted to electricity that we can use. The Universities of Surrey and Swansea led research that shows how this could be possible and feasible. The investigation involved a satellite that lasted six years even if it was anticipated to only last for one.
The researchers tracked the satellite for six years to determine how its solar panels produced electricity during its 30,000 orbits even with the solar radiation. Emeritus Professor at the University of Surrey Professor Craig expressed that they were pleased with the results.
"These detailed data show the panels have resisted radiation and their thin-film structure has not deteriorated in the harsh thermal and vacuum conditions of space," the Professor of Spacecraft Engineering at the Surrey Space Centre added.
With the study, we now have the first evidence that the ultra-low mass solar cell technology could lead to large, low-cost solar power stations deployed in space, which can then be a source of clean energy for the Earth without having to sacrifice usable space.
Solar Farms in Oceans
It's not just space that scientists have their eyes on. They have also been developing solar farms that can be placed in the oceans. After all, there's a vast surface of it on Earth that remains undisturbed. The problem is that the waters are often rough.
Floating solar farms already exist, but they float om calmer waters like lakes or reservoirs. With more violent waves from bigger bodies of water like the ocean, the solar panels will have to be more durable, which is what scientists are working on, as per EcoWatch.
Ocean Sun Founder and CEO Borge Bjorneklett believes that near-shore locations, with more benign sea states, are "more attractive," as the best way to make sure that the panels are not destroyed is to keep them away from 30-foot waves.
