A solar panel in space is collecting energy that could one day be beamed to anywhere

[DGUtley]

A solar panel in space is collecting energy that could one day be beamed to anywhere on Earth.

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Scientists working for the Pentagon have successfully tested a solar panel the size of a pizza box in space, designed as a prototype for a future system to send electricity from space back to any point on Earth.

The panel -- known as a Photovoltaic Radiofrequency Antenna Module (PRAM) -- was first launched in May 2020, attached to the Pentagon's X-37B unmanned drone, to harness light from the sun to convert to electricity. The drone is looping Earth every 90 minutes.



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https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/23/ameri...m_source=fbCNN

[Calypso Jones]

oh yeah. I can't foresee any nefarious uses for THAT!

[MMC]

Forget silicon. This material could be a game-changer for solar power.....

Solar energy is poised for what could be its biggest transformation in over half a century.



A group of materials called perovskites are being used to create the next generation of solar panels, which could eventually be twice as efficient as current models, and flexible enough to wrap around entire buildings.


The first solar cell capable of powering everyday electrical equipment was made in the 1950s at Bell Labs in New Jersey. Back then the silicon-based panels were hugely expensive and converted just 6% of sunlight into electricity.


Since then, costs have come down dramatically and today's silicon solar cells can turn up to 22% of sunlight into power. But they're nearly maxed out in terms of efficiency. Now, perovskites offer the potential for dramatic increases in power output, and they could ultimately replace silicon altogether.

Researchers at Oxford PV, a company spun out of the University of Oxford, made a major breakthrough in 2018. By coating silicon with perovskite they achieved 28% efficiency. The company believes it can eventually reach 40%, or higher.

Perovskite was discovered in 1839. Oxford PV uses a synthetic version, made from inexpensive materials that are abundant in the Earth's crust, while other companies use variations of the original mineral,collectively called perovskites.


As well as improved solar efficiency, they work better than silicon in the shade, on cloudy days or even indoors. Perovskites can be printed using an inkjet printer and can be as thin as wallpaper.

Last month, Saule Technologies' new factory in Warsaw began printing perovskite solar cells using inkjet printers. Early next year, it will start supplying Swedish construction company Skanska Group, which says it wants to be the first developer to attach printed solar cells to the façade of a building on a commercial scale.....snip~


Perovskites could transform solar power - CNN

[Calypso Jones]

Are the owners the same ones as Solyndra? The Next Government Scam...at our expense.

[Peter1469]

Are the owners the same ones as Solyndra? The Next Government Scam...at our expense.

Solyndra went bust because China dumped cheap solar panels in our market and bankrupted all the US manufacturers. And the Chinese product was crap. Most of it had to be replaced a few years after installation.

[Peter1469]

A solar panel in space is collecting energy that could one day be beamed to anywhere on Earth.

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Scientists working for the Pentagon have successfully tested a solar panel the size of a pizza box in space, designed as a prototype for a future system to send electricity from space back to any point on Earth.

The panel -- known as a Photovoltaic Radiofrequency Antenna Module (PRAM) -- was first launched in May 2020, attached to the Pentagon's X-37B unmanned drone, to harness light from the sun to convert to electricity. The drone is looping Earth every 90 minutes.



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https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/23/ameri...m_source=fbCNN

I saw that. A great concept.

[MMC]

Solyndra went bust because China dumped cheap solar panels in our market and bankrupted all the US manufacturers. And the Chinese product was crap. Most of it had to be replaced a few years after installation.

Kind of like anything else with Chi-na.

[carolina73]

A perovskite solar cell (PSC) is a type of solar cell which includes a perovskite-structured compound, most commonly a hybrid organic-inorganic lead or tin halide-based material, as the light-harvesting active layer.

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These are the types of advances we need before we start shutting down fossil fuels, not before.