Japan eyes solar station in space as new energy source

UnripeArbiter

UnripeArbiter

Extreme Skeptic.
Dec 21, 2006
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The Vortex.™
"It may sound like a sci-fi vision, but Japan's space agency is dead serious: by 2030 it wants to collect solar power in space and zap it down to Earth, using laser beams or microwaves."

"The researchers are targeting a one gigawatt system, equivalent to a medium-sized atomic power plant, that would produce electricity at eight yen (cents) per kilowatt-hour, six times cheaper than its current cost in Japan."

This is what's going to save us from global warming. The article says solar energy is five times stronger in space so this system has awesome all over. (I don't know about the efficiences and safety concerns about beaming it down)

Japan eyes solar station in space as new energy source

It seems like kinda long term thinking, but our energy crisis and climate change crisis are long term problems.
 


Solar is how they power the space station, and there's a lot of energy intensive crap on that.

Solar actually is more than capable of supplying baseload power down here, but the land use would be excessive. This solution (which has been written about dozens of times in quality sci-fi literature) is already something that is feasible (microwave receiving dish + transducer), just expensive to set up.
Of course there is always the problem of what happens when the beam is accidentally mis-targeted. It could prove to be a very effective weapon actually.
 
HarveyJ said:
Of course there is always the problem of what happens when the beam is accidentally mis-targeted. It could prove to be a very effective weapon actually.
Click to expand...

I am going to remember what I was doing the day HarveyJ discovered a foolproof method to get Republicans in Washington to start crusading for solar energy.
 
transfer the power using laser beams? oh shit there building an ion cannon!

Ion%20Cannon%20firing.jpg


oh shit we gotta invade japan before its too late!
 
HarveyJ said:
Solar is how they power the space station, and there's a lot of energy intensive crap on that.

Solar actually is more than capable of supplying baseload power down here, but the land use would be excessive. This solution (which has been written about dozens of times in quality sci-fi literature) is already something that is feasible (microwave receiving dish + transducer), just expensive to set up.
Of course there is always the problem of what happens when the beam is accidentally mis-targeted. It could prove to be a very effective weapon actually.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the land use would be extreme. Unless, the solar panels get much much more efficient.

Nothing can beat the land use of having them in space though. :)

I'm confident they can make this thing pretty safe. Although, it sounds dangerous and crazy, so does nuclear power plants (and they're quite safe) .

I hope someone in America is working on similar concepts as Japan. (no time to google it)
 
LotsOfZeros said:
I am going to remember what I was doing the day HarveyJ discovered a foolproof method to get Republicans in Washington to start crusading for solar energy.
Click to expand...

If Republicans were more concerned about their constituents rather than their special interests (oil, big business) this wouldn't be an issue.

Republicans will, apparently, only care once the solar industry becomes big business.
 
UnripeArbiter said:
If Republicans were more concerned about their constituents rather than their special interests (oil, big business) this wouldn't be an issue.

Republicans will, apparently, only care once the solar industry becomes big business.
Click to expand...

"Blah, Blah, Blah Republicans are evil
Blah, Blah, Democrats really do care about me
Blah, Blah....."

Damn. You sure know how to ruin a good joke. Such a buzzkill.
 
LotsOfZeroes: You know, I bet Al Gore would probably take this idea to Haliburton. Every left wing lunatic would riot over how he's defected, and then, just as their about to test fire it, he'll get the hackers he invented the internet with to secretly realign the laser beam to hit a receiving power station and give all of Africa free electricity, and become Super Gore-Al again ;)

(isn't it nice when we can have a non-partisan laugh together?)
 
Wasn't this in Sim City 2000? I remember playing that and having Microwave powerplants like this. Every once in a while the beam would miss and destroy some homes nearby, but it was fun
 
Yep the japs are planning revenge for

508px-Japan_map_hiroshima_nagasaki.png




You No Fuck With Us , Mathafakia , chang cung kapowwwww.. stupid cawboyi .. ha ha
outerspace-power.jpg
 
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