After reading http://gizmodo.com/5552774/lets-cover-the-moon-in-solar-panels, it got me thinking. How much power could it generate and how financially feasible is the idea? Probably been done before but so what.
As a reference: Annual Production of USA=~3992 billion kWh (25% of Earth Generation/Consumption)
Average Cost: 12-25 Cents/kWh
The Moon
Circumference: 10921 KM -(i)
Width of Solar Panel Belt: 1 KM -(ii) (for simpler calculations later)
Area of Solar Energy Impact: 30% -(iii) (Prob not the technical term but I am guesstimating that at any given time, about 30% worth of the surface of the moon is the power source. Some parts get less light due angles and some get full impact. I have guestimated it to be 30% but feel free to suggest a more suitable value)
Total Panel Area: 10,921,000,000 Square Metres -(iv) (i * ii)
Total Power Generating Area(30% of Total Area): 3,276,300,000 Square Metres -(v) (iv * iii)
PANELS
Solar Power: About 1366 W/m2 -(vi) (Approximately)
Efficiency: 11% -(vii) (Typical Efficiency of Commercial Panels albeit there are higher efficiencies available)
Power per Square metre: 150.26 Watts -(viii) (vi * vii)
Cost (per Metre Squared): US$300 -(ix)
Weight: 12 Kg -(x)
POWER OUTPUT
Total Power Generation: 492.3 Tera Watts -(xi) (v * viii)
Output per Annum(in kWh): 4312.52 Billion kWh -(xii) (xi * 24 * 365)
TRANSMISSION
Efficiency: 50% -(xiii)
End Users Receive(Billable): 2156.26 Billion kWh-(xiv)
COSTS
Cost of Panel(per sq m): US$300 -(xv)
Launch Cost: US$ 20,000 per Kg -(xvi) (Am assuming to the moon and not just Orbital. Big assumption, I know.)
Total Launch Cost for All Panels: US$2621.04 Trillion (!??) -(xvii)
Assume the install cost is included. (Why not? If I am paying 2621 Trillion Dollars....) -(xviii)
Maintenance: see xviii -(xix)
Assuming Life Span: 10 Years -(xx)
Cost Per Annum: US$ 262.43 Trillion -(xxi) (xvii/xx)
COST PER kWh: US$ 121.71 -(xxii) (xxi/xiv)
Inferences
If Solar Efficiency is Boosted to 30% (currently its up to about 20%) and Launch Cost is reduced by Half to 10,000 per KG (Indian Space Research Organisation aims to hit this target within 2 years), Cost Per kWh becomes 22.34 which is still way more than existing supplies.
It only becomes palatable (imho) if Life Span of Project is 20 Years,Panel Efficiency touches 50%, and launch cost comes under US$2500 per Kg. This results in a cost of US$1.69 per kWh. Though we havent achieved these price points yet, it is concievable that it can be done within a few decades. Just my two bits.
PS: I have an excel file with the above if anyone wants it
