Lunar Solar Energy Harvesting: A Future Technological Marvel

Solar energy is a one-of-a-kind approach to having energy independence from an abundant and virtually limitless energy source, which is the sun. New solar technologies and panels make it possible to power an entire house without connecting to conventional energy sources and power plants.

However, the Earth’s weather system isn’t the most friendly when it comes to solar technologies. It changes and blocks the solar panel’s full potential in harvesting energy from the sun. Thus, it can manufacture poor energy amounts that can cause loss of energy in many properties.

Nowadays, scientists are looking towards the sky for answers. For example, the satellite-focused solar panel system they’ve proposed is one of the best ways to circumvent the natural atmosphere and have all-exclusive access to the sun. With this idea, the moon is the only blockage from the sun the solar-harvesting satellite has.

Today, scientists are looking to make the moon a solar-harvesting rig that can power an entire population of people. Read more about the moon’s feasibility as a solar energy harvester from Science Netlinks below.

This idea may sound pretty far-fetched, and there’s no question that it would take some serious money and resources to implement it. But Criswell argues that in the long run, it will be cheaper than the power we use now. And it will definitely take some creative thinking to meet the world’s energy demand of 20 terawatts (the amount of energy used by 200 billion bright light bulbs) by 2050.

Neither our current supply of fossil fuels nor any current earth-based renewable energy technology is up to the task.

Why collect solar power on the moon? The answer is that all the factors that make life impossible on the moon (no atmosphere, wind, rain, fog, clouds, or weather of any kind) make it an ideal place to collect solar energy. The moon is exposed to sunlight constantly, except briefly during a rare lunar eclipse. If that energy could be harnessed, as Criswell describes, and sent back to earth in microwave form, it could supply energy far more efficiently than solar panels in even the driest earth desert.

Of course, this idea involves building solar panels on the moon, which means we would have people on the moon all the time (about six months to a year per person, Criswell suggests), to build and maintain the repair equipment and arrays. It also means shipping manufacturing equipment up to the moon.

Criswell argues that most of the necessary materials can actually be extracted from the lunar landscape, with help from some start-up equipment and supplementary supplies. However, it would still involve an initial outlay of resources by the government and a decision on the role, if any, that NASA would play in the project.There are other obstacles to overcome. For example, the project would involve building about 10,000 large receivers all over the world. Many comparable global energy proposals would actually require more equipment, but it’s still a lot of work. Plus, many poorer countries and communities would have to build rectennas and power grids in order to benefit from this technology. This can be seen either as an obstacle or as an opportunity for workers in these countries to upgrade their skills. (Continued)

If you have yet to find a dependable Golden, CO solar panel installation team, you can always count on us at Roper Roofing and Solar for all your needs. Contact us today to learn more about everything that we can do for you.