Solar Energy ArticlesSolar Panels and Solar Power from Moon No doubt that the solar panels are cheap, sunlight is available without any cost and abundantly. However, the sun itself is not available at all the times during the day. Sunlight is available in fewer quantities when it is cloudy, rainy days as well as during the night time. In this article, we are therefore going to talk about an ambitions solution proposed to harness solar power by installing solar panels on the extra-terrestrial body viz. moon. The answer to the dilemma of non-availability of the sun during all times of the day is the excavation of the extra-terrestrial bodies, the easiest of them being the moon. David Criswell, the Director of the Institute for Space Systems Operations addressed the University of Houston ceremony and made it available publicly that such an idea is about to be given shape. His idea lies in the fact that the satellite of the earth can be exploited so that there is a possibility to install the solar panel systems on to the moon. He is of the opinion that installation of solar panels to make them subjected to the sunlight all the time might be a key to the solutions exploring power options and address the energy demand from the entire planet earth. A lot of other options have already been investigated by the existing research organizations. But the best answer lies in the fact that there could be a possibility of harnessing power of the sun from outside the earth, to a much greater extent than what is possible on to the earth. Hence moon is being considered as a basic solution. Firstly, moon is very much nearby to the planet earth if we compare with the other extra terrestrial bodies. It intercepts more energy of the sun due to the lack of a dense atmosphere around it, almost a hundred times more. Now there is a further problem added to this, it is possible due to the advancement in the space based research to install the solar panels on to the moon. But how do we recover the sunlight captured by the solar panels on the moon and make it available to where it is required i.e. on the earth. There is a possible solution to add to it. Criswell identifies that the solution lies in the fact that the low-intensity microwaves can be put to use for the same purpose. Hence the idea gets a new direction. We can make use of the low-intensity microwaves so that the solar panels which convert sunlight into electricity on the moon can form a low-intensity beam of microwaves and transmit it back to the earth. A similar mechanism on the earth to capture the thus incoming beams seems feasible. Such receivers however must be placed on all over the earth due to the rotation of the moon in the orbit around the earth. Then the microwaves can be converted back into the usable form of electricity and can be readily connected to the power grids. These systems will actually take up much lesser place than what it is required right now to generate the electricity at the power generation centers. Criswell, on top of that adds that the basic technology that is to be used in order to transform the ideas into reality is available with us. And it is available since a long time (1970s). So definitely technology is not a problem in reaching out to the extra-terrestrial space and exploits it for the much required demand of electricity on earth. The only waiting is for the authorities to accept such kind of proposal and make it go ahead as a project to be implemented. Related articles
|
|
| 28 Church Road, Stanmore, Middlesex, London, UK. HA7 4XR. |
|
| enquiries@solarenergyhome.co.uk | |