In article 41f2ea4f-47ee-4f68-b980-399f7e714df0

@j14g2000prn.googlegroups.com, says...



On Jul 14, 7:26 pm, Jeff Findley wrote:

In article 01609aef-2c20-43b4-a553-9c84cb346892



Even then I'm not sure they make sense. They've got to compete with

all other alternative sources of terrestrial power. As fossil fuel

prices continue to rise, terrestrial alternatives become more

attractive and investment in them may yield reductions in cost such

that space based power never makes economic sense.



That's possible. But it will take a conceptually different approach,

like solar collectors that grow themselves like Kudzu. It seems

unlikely that earth based solar power will ever get down to 2 cents

per kWh, and that's the target I set for power satellites.

(StratoSolar might be an exception.)



Perhaps advances similar to this?



Photovoltaic Breakthroughs Brighten Outlook for Cheap Solar Power

Novel materials might make harvesting sunlight for electricity

affordable

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...=photovoltaic-

breakthroughs-brighten-outlook-for-cheap-solar-power



And there are always other renewable sources, like wind, wave,

hydroelectric, thermal, and etc.



Jeff

--

" Solids are a branch of fireworks, not rocketry. :-) :-) ", Henry

Spencer 1/28/2011