Poll Would you like a night Sun?

[T.Neo]

Do I sense a smidgeon of sarcasm there?

Nope.

We've messed up city centers too much to worry about the "ecosystem" that resides there now. It's a human created habitat, for humans.

Now, shining a mirror on a primal natural ecosystem is a wholly different thing...

 

[Sky Captain]

Better yet, collect the energy in-situ and beam it to Earth more efficiently (via microwaves).

It depends which option is cheaper when all looses are accounted. Mirror can be made very light few grams per square meter should be possible. Solar cells at least currently are much heavier, microwave transmitter would also add some weight. If it`s possible to keep heavy stuff on ground it could be economically more viable.

 

[Donamy]

Because we already have one.

Oh yeah, I forgot.

 

[T.Neo]

It depends which option is cheaper when all looses are accounted. Mirror can be made very light few grams per square meter should be possible. Solar cells at least currently are much heavier, microwave transmitter would also add some weight. If it`s possible to keep heavy stuff on ground it could be economically more viable.

Yeah... you incur losses through transmitting light to the ground from space through the atmosphere. Microwaves (AFAIK) are far more efficient at travelling through the atmosphere, and can pass through clouds etc. Solar energy is also more abundant in space then on the surface.

The idea I suppose would be that the sats would be constructed on the Moon and shipped to GEO, to avoid pressure on Earthbound resources and the local environment. Granted, a rectenna still has to be built on the ground.

Solar cells aren't the only option, either. You could still have a mirror (made out of aluminised mylar or similar) focusing light onto a thermal generator (something like a brayton or stirling engine). This way the generator itself is made into a "dumb" system that can easily be built on the Moon, and the mirror, if dulled by radiation or torn up by constant micrometeorite bombardment could be replaced from Earth as it is a lightweight part.

 

[Urwumpe]

If idiots blind you with their high-beam, suck it up and get used to it.

Would be nice if that would be possible. But it isn't. I also don't demand people to drive without their lights on only because I could during most phases of the moon (Only during new moon, I am also only seeing noise). But high beam is another topic. You only need high beam for driving really fast on a autobahn since you can see a few hundred meters INSIDE the beam - and absolutly nothing outside it. Even on a normal rural road, you have to be stupid to use it. You only see minimal further with it (until the next bend) and if some furry suicide attacker awaits you on the side of the road, willed to jump in front of your car when you don't expect it, high beam is exactly what does NOT help you. Driving slower and use only as much light as necessary does.

We are actually behaving like light addicts. We are so afraid of the darkness, that we prefer getting harmed by the light over having to step into the dark.

Though it is really fun to see the world at night. If you manage to sneak close enough to a deer at night for touching it, you finally understand how somebody could have hunted such animals with only a spear. Deers are even more blind at night than the average human. As long as you don't make noise or get into the wind, they won't notice you. You could dance the complete Moonwalk movie in front of them - as long as you stay silent.

 

[Sky Captain]

Yeah... you incur losses through transmitting light to the ground from space through the atmosphere. Microwaves (AFAIK) are far more efficient at travelling through the atmosphere, and can pass through clouds etc. Solar energy is also more abundant in space then on the surface.

The idea I suppose would be that the sats would be constructed on the Moon and shipped to GEO, to avoid pressure on Earthbound resources and the local environment. Granted, a rectenna still has to be built on the ground.

Solar cells aren't the only option, either. You could still have a mirror (made out of aluminised mylar or similar) focusing light onto a thermal generator (something like a brayton or stirling engine). This way the generator itself is made into a "dumb" system that can easily be built on the Moon, and the mirror, if dulled by radiation or torn up by constant micrometeorite bombardment could be replaced from Earth as it is a lightweight part.

Some sort of heat engine instead of solar cells is another option although that implies lot`s of mechanical parts and radiators which is a high potential for breakdown. But then again building a space based solar power system capable of making significant dent in worlds energy budget by default means a commitment to large scale space program so having a rotating teams of technicians in GEO space station to do necessary maintenance and repairs might be a viable option.

 

[T.Neo]

Some sort of heat engine instead of solar cells is another option although that implies lot`s of mechanical parts and radiators which is a high potential for breakdown.

Not more so then that of a modern steam-powered power station.

You could design the heat engine to be simple (in relative terms) and easily accessible for maintainance by astronauts or teleoperated robots.

But then again building a space based solar power system capable of making significant dent in worlds energy budget by default means a commitment to large scale space program

The idea is that the power station would be built and launched from the Moon, using lunar factories built by bootstrap outposts using local materials in an effort to lessen the impact to the Terran environment. It would indeed entail a "large-scale" space program (compared to the one we have now), but, IMO, it's really the only space program worth having.

so having a rotating teams of technicians in GEO space station to do necessary maintenance and repairs might be a viable option.

Or you could use remotely-operated robots, which would be cheaper to operate since their survival needs are far less then those of humans. Humans are far more capable then machines, but you could make up for it by making the vulnerable components easy to reach and replace.

Solar power sat repair would be an excuse to test out long-duration space technologies and such, and do science such as sun monitoring and astronomy.