SPACE BASED SOLAR ENERGY: A FUTURE OF SAFE AND RELIABLE ENERGY

Abstract The study presents the possibility of shifting from the current terrestrial energy sources to the Space Based Solar Energy. As the demand for adequate, safe, reliable and clean energy increases, pressure mounts on the energy producers to research of additional sources of electrical power to supplement the current supply. Harnessing Space based solar energy presents one of the most reliable solutions to the energy crisis facing many countries in the world: Kenya included. Discussions on space based solar technology have been ongoing in the developed countries for a while now: third world countries will the biggest beneficiaries due to the high demand for power. Third world countries have a low power production capacity due to overreliance on sinusoidal hydro and costly coal sources of energy. For instance, it is only 28% of Kenyan population is connected to the country’s 1533 MW capacity national grid system. This leaves a larger percentage, 72% in the dark. The situation in the rural areas is even worse with only 5% of the population accessing electricity. In Space Based Solar Energy technology, sunlight is collected by geosynchronous satellites. The sunlight energy is then harnessed to produce solar energy. The harnessed solar energy undergoes a series of energy transformations before it is transmitted wirelessly to earth. The wirelessly transmitted energy is adequate, safe and reliable. Placing solar cells in space ensures there is 24 hour availability of sunlight and subsequent conversion and transmission to the national grid system. Also the urgency of finding an alternative energy source due to the depleting energy resources on earth calls for Space Based Solar Energy. In harnessing the space based solar energy, the concept of Solar Power Satellites (SPS), implementation feasibility, and the overall architecture & the underlying components are investigated. The findings illustrate the effectiveness of the Space-Based Solar Energy system as low-loss, environment friendly and large-scale method of energy generation and transfer.