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California May Get Some Power From Solar Space Cells By 2016

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not_a_virus.exe.vbs
04/15/09

In reply to California May Get Some Power From Solar Space Cells By 2016
So what advantage is there for putting them in space? Won't it cost more?
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Monty
04/15/09

In reply to California May Get Some Power From Solar Space Cells By 2016
We may have canceled the laser plane from our defense budget, but that won't stop private enterprise from creating energy beams from space. Nifty. I have a finsky here that says it never works.
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Cliff_Dangers
04/15/09

In reply to California May Get Some Power From Solar Space Cells By 2016
I always felt that since the biggest complaint to installing solar panels in a house was of course cost, that the federal government should pass a law that requires all new houses being built to have solar panels installed. Because this would mean huge orders for panel makers, this would drive down costs and boost investment into making more efficient panels. Thus, the lower price of the panels could easily justify a small increase in the price of the house because it would soon be saved through lower energy bills.
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GitEmSteveDave_My Brute Dojo CDIAFIFE
04/15/09

@Cliff_Dangers: "Requiring" it would then require a way to "police" it. Just like some people have a dummy muffler or anything else required, you would get people who would not want it and install dummy collectors. You also have to remember that the panels aren't the only part of the system. You have to have an transformer to ramp up the incoming voltage and a way to store it, a power company with the ability to take the energy, a way to transmit it to the place it's needed, etc.. etc...
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Nick
04/15/09

In reply to California May Get Some Power From Solar Space Cells By 2016
if this works (the energy beaming part) is there any way to take those obejcts in orbit/tumbling in space and convert the energy from their movement and beam it back?

let me know if you'er smart and i call dibbs on the patent.

dibbs
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GitEmSteveDave_My Brute Dojo CDIAFIFE
04/15/09

In reply to California May Get Some Power From Solar Space Cells By 2016
Wouldn't all that energy being beamed to earth cause heat? I would imagine the waves would heat/excite the molecules in the air in the column they travel in, which would mean it would disrupt air currents, even if only by a fraction. Also, what about space debris/solar flares/etc....
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Jackhole
04/15/09

@UsingTheColbert_GitEmSteveDave: Yes I would think it cause some local heating..don't know about disrupting air currents. I most certainly wouldn't want to be anywhere fucking near this thing, tho.
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GitEmSteveDave_My Brute Dojo CDIAFIFE
04/15/09

@Jackhole: Well, the ground would absorb some of the stray energy, which would start an updraft which would create a column of heated air which would get hotter as it stayed in the beam and got closer to the source. Also, what are the effects of this energy on O3? Of course, a ozone hole over CA wouldn't be that big of a problem for me....
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m4ximusprim3
04/15/09

@UsingTheColbert_GitEmSteveDave: Also, how about birds/planes/etc unfortunate enough to wander into the beam? Do they just fry?
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GitEmSteveDave_My Brute Dojo CDIAFIFE
04/15/09

@m4ximusprim3: Well, no fly zones are already in place and enforced in many places, and the thought of frying would def. disuade most pilots from breaking the rule. As for birds, I must agree. If a bird not being able to miss a loud whizzing 500 foot fan blade is enough to get windmills not installed how would a silent sizzling beam fare in the court of public opinion. Sometimes tree-huggers come in handy!
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Brett Dennis
04/15/09

In reply to California May Get Some Power From Solar Space Cells By 2016
Power in spppaaaaacccceeeee. it had to be done
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bosskev
04/15/09

@Brett Dennis: Not really.
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bosskev
04/15/09

In reply to California May Get Some Power From Solar Space Cells By 2016

"...shoot it down via RF transmissions, a..."

Was I the only one who went, "Oh, fuck shit!" when I read that? An energy beam with enough oomph that it can power California...being lasered from a computer controlled satellite towards terrestrial targets? Uh...I'll let you all reply with the obligatory SkyNet and/or Cylon implications...
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whiteflea
04/15/09

@bosskev: I don't think it's enough to power California. It's just "some" power. Still, it does sound scary.
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bosskev
04/15/09

@whiteflea: Yeah, I did realize that--I was going for the overplayed melodramatic effect. Comedic license, that kind of thing.

OTOH, even if this thing only produces enough power to supply, say, the suburbs of Fresno, I still wouldn't want to be anywhere near its beam, off-target or otherwise. Well, not until the day comes that three-eyed children becomes fashionable, then maybe.
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Hello Mister Walrus
04/15/09

@bosskev: I think they had this same idea in Gears of War.
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ripfire
04/15/09

@bosskev: I don't think it would be hard to device some sort of laser trip wire. If the beam goes off course, then just turn it off.
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ripfire
04/15/09

@bosskev: Question is, how would planes know how to fly around it?
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Sunburn_summer
04/15/09

In reply to California May Get Some Power From Solar Space Cells By 2016
Wonder what the risks are... I man other than total failure?
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Hello Mister Walrus
04/15/09

@Sonburn: I have to mention this - agreeing to buy something for a certain price does not mean no risk. PG&E will still lose money if the 2016 price of energy is below what they agreed on.
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Gann
04/15/09

@Sonburn: If environmentalists are against wind power because it kill birds, they will love the ring of bbq'd birds around this thing.

Oh, and assuming this thing is in geostationary orbit (about 20,000 miles above sea level), if it get's knocked off axis by 1 degree the beam burns a 350 mile long line across whatever is around.
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SSgtTEX
04/15/09

In reply to California May Get Some Power From Solar Space Cells By 2016
I would like to know what their projections of power loss will be as it is transmitted down to the Earth. I would thing the distance, atmostphere, and general air quality will lower it a fair amount.
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Monty
04/15/09

@SSgtTEX: Call me a pessimist, but my initial assumption is the power loss will be one hundred percent because I have yet to see wireless power transmission. I know they are not actually transmitting the same sort of power we send through our power lines, but it is still a pretty pie in the sky, er - satellite in the sky sort of idea.
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Gann
04/15/09

@Monty: Solar energy is a good example of wireless power transmission. All this would do is concentrate the solar energy into a powerful beam. The light would be converted into a wavelength that is best suited to penetrate the earth's atmosphere, so less of the energy would be absorbed than if the solar radiation were allowed to pass to the earth's surface.

The Japanese have been planning to do this for a while. [inventorspot.com]
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