Comparative analysis of net energy balance for satellite power systems (SPS) and other energy systems

Technical Report · Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5428479· OSTI ID:5428479

Cirillo, R. R.; Cho, B. S.; Monarch, M. R.; Levine, E. P.

The net energy balance of seven electric energy systems is assessed: two coal-based, one nuclear, two terrestrial solar, and two solar power satellites, with principal emphasis on the latter two systems. Solar energy systems require much less operating energy per unit of electrical output. However, on the basis of the analysis used here, coal and nuclear systems are two to five times more efficient at extracting useful energy from the primary resource base than are the solar energy systems. The payback period for all systems is less than 1.5 years, except for the terrestrial photovoltaic (19.8 yr) and the solar power satellite system (6.4 yr), both of which rely on energy-intensive silicon cells.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31-109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5428479
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER-0056
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
NET ENERGY
ORBITAL SOLAR POWER PLANTS
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
COMBINED-CYCLE POWER PLANTS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY ANALYSIS
FLUIDIZED-BED COMBUSTION
GALLIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
INPUT-OUTPUT ANALYSIS
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
PAYBACK PERIOD
POWER PLANTS
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ECONOMICS
EQUIPMENT
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
OXIDATION
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
REACTORS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
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140700 - Solar Thermal Power Systems
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