Off-world Power Generation: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:22, 24 June 2026

Concept

Premise

Goal

Near-earth or Lagrange-point solar array about the size of Nebraska to power the globe.

Calculations:

Energy requirement of NYC: ~3000 trillion BTU in 2016 = 3000 trillion btu / 365 days = 3.4E+11 btu/hr = 1.0036680479e+11 watts = 100 GW
PV power stations collect more power than solar thermal power stations. They seem to average ~3 MW/km^2 (throwing out 2 ridiculous outliers).
Traditional single-junction cells have a maximum theoretical efficiency of 33.16% more. In reality it is around 18.7%.
A 65"x39" (1.64 m^2) solar panel made in 2018 produces ~320W.
About 48% of solar energy hitting the Earth reaches the surface. Perhaps optimistic, but we will divide by .48 to get energy-in-space vs on-earth.
Approximate energy absorbable by a solar panel in space: 320W / 1.64m^2 / .48% = 400W/m^2 in space
Approximate required size of a solar array "near Earth" (including l1) to power NYC: 100GW / 400W/m^s = 250 sq km
1 out of every 811 humans on earth live in NYC, so 250 sq km dish * 811 (assuming every human uses as much energy as a New Yorker) requires a solar array of only around 200,000 sq km - the size of Nebraska - to power the globe. A physicist confirms on the back of an envelope that the area needed will be "near-(UK)-country-sized".

Conclusion

Keep it as simple as possible, but no less.

We need to optimize free space power transmission in lab conditions using currently-available consumer electronics.
We need to create a solar panel array with robotics that can self-assemble.
We need robotics that can precisely and safely aim laser energy to a distant target using a real-time handshaking protocol.
We need to determine the cheapest possible way to launch a payload from Earth and navigate it to a final stable destination (lagrange or Earth orbit).
We need to determine the requirements to receive laser power at an Earth-based power plant.
We need to crowdfund the project.

Robotic self-assembly

The robotics that self-assemble the array. See Lab 5: Robotic self-assembly, which includes a defensive publication (2026) disclosing the project's in-space self-assembly autonomy, docking guidance, distributed slot-claiming, growth logic, and L2 relative-navigation methods as public-domain prior art.

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-=== Working Proposal ===
+=== Concept ===
-Imagine making oil, coal and fracking obsolete. humankind needs to look to the virtually unlimited freely available resource of solar power. It's everywhere around us. It fills space.
+==== Premise ====
+<Earth>   <-clearsky-burst-laser--   <satellite>
--or-
+==== Goal ====
-Feeling helpless about our dying planet? Frustrated by the ceaseless plundering of Earth by the coal, gas and oil industries? Tired of waiting for a plan? Well we're going to actually do something about it. Miller Offworld Power will send solar panels to space and beam the collected energy back to earth with lasers. yeah. frickin' lasers. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, non-stop power.
+Near-earth or Lagrange-point solar array about the size of Nebraska to power the globe.
-We have a working prototype and want to enter phase 2 - optimization and scaling up. Join us in the fight for our planet.
+Calculations:
+* Energy requirement of NYC: ~3000 trillion BTU in 2016 = 3000 trillion btu / 365 days = 3.4E+11 btu/hr = 1.0036680479e+11 watts = 100 GW
+* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_photovoltaic_power_stations PV power stations] collect more power than [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_solar_thermal_power_stations solar thermal power stations].  They seem to average ~3 MW/km^2 (throwing out 2 ridiculous outliers).
+* Traditional single-junction cells have a maximum theoretical efficiency of 33.16% [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell_efficiency more].  In reality it is around [https://www.solarpowerrocks.com/solar-basics/how-much-electricity-does-a-solar-panel-produce/#top10 18.7%].
+* A 65"x39" (1.64 m^2) solar panel made in 2018 [https://www.solarpowerrocks.com/solar-basics/how-much-electricity-does-a-solar-panel-produce/#top10 produces ~320W].
+* About 48% of solar energy hitting the Earth reaches the surface.  Perhaps optimistic, but we will divide by .48 to get energy-in-space vs on-earth.
+* Approximate energy absorbable by a solar panel in space: 320W / 1.64m^2 / .48% = 400W/m^2 in space
+* Approximate required size of a solar array "near Earth" (including l1) to power NYC: 100GW / 400W/m^s = 250 sq km
+* 1 out of every 811 humans on earth live in NYC, so 250 sq km dish * 811 (assuming every human uses as much energy as a New Yorker) requires a solar array of only around 200,000 sq km - the size of Nebraska - to power the globe.  A physicist confirms on the back of an envelope that the area needed [https://youtu.be/E0W1ZZYIV8o will be "near-(UK)-country-sized"].
--or-
+==== Conclusion ====
-In another world, Earth isn't dying, it's prospering. And the inhabitants have access to unlimited offworld free energy. With your help, We can make that our reality.
+Keep it as simple as possible, but no less.
--or-
+* We need to optimize free space power transmission in lab conditions using currently-available consumer electronics.
+* We need to create a solar panel array with robotics that can self-assemble.
+* We need robotics that can precisely and safely aim laser energy to a distant target using a real-time handshaking protocol.
+* We need to determine the cheapest possible way to launch a payload from Earth and navigate it to a final stable destination (lagrange or Earth orbit).
+* We need to determine the requirements to receive laser power at an Earth-based power plant.
+* We need to crowdfund the project.
-In other words as sufficient power becomes available, it will automatically render the extraction of fossil fuels from the Earth's crust economically infeasible.
+=== [[Off-world Power Generation Lab 5: Robotic self-assembly|Robotic self-assembly]] ===
-=== Concepts ===
+The robotics that self-assemble the array. See [[Off-world Power Generation Lab 5: Robotic self-assembly|Lab 5: Robotic self-assembly]], which includes a [[Off-world Power Generation Lab 5: Robotic self-assembly#Defensive Publication: Autonomous In-Space Self-Assembly of Modular Structures|defensive publication]] (2026) disclosing the project's in-space self-assembly autonomy, docking guidance, distributed slot-claiming, growth logic, and L2 relative-navigation methods as public-domain prior art.
-Given:
+=== [[Off-world Power Generation Research|Research]] ===
-* earth to moon: 238,900 miles
-* there are [https://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission/observatory_l2.html four lagrange points] that provide constant sun exposure at predictable locations
-* l1 to earth/moon: 1 million miles
-* the sun primarily produces visible light (not microwaves or gamma...)
-* laser transmission is more efficient than microwave, except where earth's atmosphere interferes
-* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space-based_solar_power current status]: A Gigawatt-range microwave system would weigh ~80,000 tons (prohibitively expensive) [https://www.energy.gov/articles/space-based-solar-power more] [https://e-reports-ext.llnl.gov/pdf/372187.pdf lots more]
-* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell_efficiency Solar cell efficiency]
-Premises:
+=== [[Off-world Power Generation Prototyping|Prototyping]] ===
- <Earth> <-microwave-- <Earth-orbit satellite> <-laser-- <Earth's moon> <-laser-- <L1 solar array>
- <Earth> <-clearsky-burst-laser-- <Earth's moon> <-laser-- <L1 solar array>
- <Earth> <-clearsky-burst-laser-- <L1 solar array>
-* <Earth> <- <Earth-orbit satellite>
-Laser transmit antenna in space: 1 meter diameter per GW
-Receive: Several hundred meters across
-* <Earth-orbit satellite> <- <Earth's moon>
-* <Earth's moon> <- <Earth-Sol Lagrange-point solar array>
-Targeting the energy requirement of NYC:
-* Power is measured in Newton-meters per second or Joules per second or Watts.
-* ~3000 trillion BTU in 2016 = 3000 trillion btu / 365 days = 3.4E+11 btu/hr = 1.0036680479e+11 watts = 100 GW
-PV energy collection
-* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_photovoltaic_power_stations PV power stations] collect more power than [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_solar_thermal_power_stations solar thermal power stations].  They seem to average ~3 MW/km^2 (throwing out 2 ridiculous outliers).
-* Traditional single-junction cells have a maximum theoretical efficiency of 33.16% [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell_efficiency more].  In reality it is around [https://www.solarpowerrocks.com/solar-basics/how-much-electricity-does-a-solar-panel-produce/#top10 18.7%].
-* A 65"x39" (1.64 m^2) solar panel made in 2018 [https://www.solarpowerrocks.com/solar-basics/how-much-electricity-does-a-solar-panel-produce/#top10 produces ~320W].
-* About 48% of solar energy hitting the Earth reaches the surface.  Perhaps optimistic, but we will divide by .48 to get energy-in-space vs on-earth.
-* Approximate energy absorbable by a solar panel in space: 320W / 1.64m^2 / .48% = 400W/m^2 in space
-* Approximate required size of a solar array "near Earth" (including l1) to power NYC: 100GW / 400W/m^s = 250 sq km
-* Dan: 1 out of every 811 humans on earth live in NYC, so 250 sq km dish * 811 (assuming every human uses as much energy as a New Yorker) requires a solar array of only around 200,000 sq km - the size of Nebraska - to power the globe.
-[[Free Space Power Transmission Lab Gear]]
+=== [[Off-world Power Generation Crowdfunding|Crowdfunding]] ===
-[[Off-world Power Generation Kickstarter]]
+=== [[Off-world Power Generation Patrons|Patrons]] ===