<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for California utility bets on space-based solar power]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by jcgerlero http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/ Thu, 16 Apr 2009 06:51:38 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/1 Comment #2 by sunflower http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/ Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:48:11 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/2 Comment #3 by willowwisp http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/ Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:51:52 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/3 I would love to use solar power in everything that we do. I can't wait to get my hands on a new one for my home.,

]]> I would love to use solar power in everything that we do. I can't wait to get my hands on a new one for my home.,

]]> Comment #4 by sindark http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/ Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:08:19 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/4 I am definitely skeptical about the economics of this. Would it really be better than spending the money on ground-based concentrating solar facilities and energy storage systems like pumped hydroelectric?

Rockets are expensive, after all.

]]> I am definitely skeptical about the economics of this. Would it really be better than spending the money on ground-based concentrating solar facilities and energy storage systems like pumped hydroelectric?

Rockets are expensive, after all.

]]> Comment #5 by Duggles http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/ Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:53:56 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/5 I think you're all missing the point here: space-based death-ray! I mean, come on, the company is made up of military-industrial complex guys, and they can't reveal their investors. Carlyle Group, anyone?


That said, this project is just what we need.  Green energy needs to be made far more dangerous to be sexy enough for America. And this space ray is just the sort of project that can make that happen.


(Warning: LINKS CONTAIN LANGUAGE THAT SOME MAY FIND OFFENSIVE)


]]> I think you're all missing the point here: space-based death-ray! I mean, come on, the company is made up of military-industrial complex guys, and they can't reveal their investors. Carlyle Group, anyone?


That said, this project is just what we need.  Green energy needs to be made far more dangerous to be sexy enough for America. And this space ray is just the sort of project that can make that happen.


(Warning: LINKS CONTAIN LANGUAGE THAT SOME MAY FIND OFFENSIVE)


]]> Comment #6 by PermieWriter http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/ Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:56:08 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/6 I hope the design is hardened to withstand bombarding by orbital debris. Maybe we should wait until we clean up LEO before we start orbiting power satellites.
And of course the money would be better spent on conservation. But insulation isn't nearly as cool as rockets. At least we're not going for a beanstalk. PG&E would probably manage to split the planet if they built one.


]]> I hope the design is hardened to withstand bombarding by orbital debris. Maybe we should wait until we clean up LEO before we start orbiting power satellites.
And of course the money would be better spent on conservation. But insulation isn't nearly as cool as rockets. At least we're not going for a beanstalk. PG&E would probably manage to split the planet if they built one.


]]> Comment #7 by Sean Casten http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/ Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:05:07 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/7 Hard not to laugh at this.  I started by career post-grad school with Arthur D. Little, a company that was on the cutting edge of a huge array of technologies, going back to the turn of the 20th century - we had a role in the development of everything from the Xerox to the Stairmaster, and not a few pretty novel R&D plays in the energy space.  (One of my early projects was working with the team to allow fuel cells to work on gasoline.)

Anyway, any company with a 100 year history in R&D comes up with it's share of duds - as well as a legacy of figuring out how to extract large sums of $ from excited investors for continued consulting revenue in support of those duds.  (My personal dud-based source of steady consulting revenue was the hydrogen economy.  Knew it was bonkers, but also knew how to extract consulting fees out of continued investigations.)  Anyway, whenever us worker-bees would get onto conversations about our more dubious consulting assignments, one of the old-timers would inevitably raise microwave-beaming of solar space power, which had generated huge consulting fees for us through the years and was the perfect dud consulting gig.  Never likely to work, but always likely to attract $ from naive, wealthy idealists (think DOE, EPRI, DARPA, etc.).  Better yet, it could get rolled out again every time there was an energy crisis, or an increase in NASA budgets, or a build-up at the Pentagon.  Damned near recession proof, and pure consulting genius. 

But the big money isn't in turning those duds into consulting revenue... it's in figuring out how to turn it into a big IPO.  Good luck, Solaren!

]]> Hard not to laugh at this.  I started by career post-grad school with Arthur D. Little, a company that was on the cutting edge of a huge array of technologies, going back to the turn of the 20th century - we had a role in the development of everything from the Xerox to the Stairmaster, and not a few pretty novel R&D plays in the energy space.  (One of my early projects was working with the team to allow fuel cells to work on gasoline.)

Anyway, any company with a 100 year history in R&D comes up with it's share of duds - as well as a legacy of figuring out how to extract large sums of $ from excited investors for continued consulting revenue in support of those duds.  (My personal dud-based source of steady consulting revenue was the hydrogen economy.  Knew it was bonkers, but also knew how to extract consulting fees out of continued investigations.)  Anyway, whenever us worker-bees would get onto conversations about our more dubious consulting assignments, one of the old-timers would inevitably raise microwave-beaming of solar space power, which had generated huge consulting fees for us through the years and was the perfect dud consulting gig.  Never likely to work, but always likely to attract $ from naive, wealthy idealists (think DOE, EPRI, DARPA, etc.).  Better yet, it could get rolled out again every time there was an energy crisis, or an increase in NASA budgets, or a build-up at the Pentagon.  Damned near recession proof, and pure consulting genius. 

But the big money isn't in turning those duds into consulting revenue... it's in figuring out how to turn it into a big IPO.  Good luck, Solaren!

]]> Comment #8 by sanderson508 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/ Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:24:05 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/8 Comment #9 by amazingdrx http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/ Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:31:33 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/9 Good comunique from the real world, thanks once again Sean!

Actually Todd, "radio waves" is a misnomer. A microwave laser beam powerful enough to ionize the air would be necessary to transport the power efficiently to ground.  and that would atract massive lightning bolts that would vaporize the ground receiver. Not to mention the microwave laser would vaporize any birds or aircraft crossing the beam's path.

Your e-solar story was great!  and there are so many uncovered green stories, like the smart grid projects popping up all over the country. Biogas from farm waste, solid oxide fuel cell/turbine power plants, superconducting electromagnetic energy storage, and so many other barely covered new energy economy stories, that mass delusional media ignores.  Read back into the grist archives todd. Especially the comments, get some new ideas please,

why did you think it useful instead  to cover this idiotic space solar stuff and the geothermal drill story? Both ridiculous?  keep up the better work you did in the e-solar story.  Sorry to be harsh,but the ice caps are melting, time is a wasting and you are blessed with an exceptional forum, use it!

@amazingdrx

]]> Good comunique from the real world, thanks once again Sean!

Actually Todd, "radio waves" is a misnomer. A microwave laser beam powerful enough to ionize the air would be necessary to transport the power efficiently to ground.  and that would atract massive lightning bolts that would vaporize the ground receiver. Not to mention the microwave laser would vaporize any birds or aircraft crossing the beam's path.

Your e-solar story was great!  and there are so many uncovered green stories, like the smart grid projects popping up all over the country. Biogas from farm waste, solid oxide fuel cell/turbine power plants, superconducting electromagnetic energy storage, and so many other barely covered new energy economy stories, that mass delusional media ignores.  Read back into the grist archives todd. Especially the comments, get some new ideas please,

why did you think it useful instead  to cover this idiotic space solar stuff and the geothermal drill story? Both ridiculous?  keep up the better work you did in the e-solar story.  Sorry to be harsh,but the ice caps are melting, time is a wasting and you are blessed with an exceptional forum, use it!

@amazingdrx

]]> Comment #10 by sanderson508 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/ Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:06:20 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/10 Are you talking about the Arthur D Little that was very inventive and forward thinking in the early years of the 20th century and went bankrupt in 2002 or the Paris outfit that bought the name and is a major oil/gas company with a serious interest in stopping any inovation that would eliminate most of the need for oil and gas?????

]]> Are you talking about the Arthur D Little that was very inventive and forward thinking in the early years of the 20th century and went bankrupt in 2002 or the Paris outfit that bought the name and is a major oil/gas company with a serious interest in stopping any inovation that would eliminate most of the need for oil and gas?????

]]> Comment #11 by Sean Casten http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/ Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:20:14 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-16-solera-space-solar/11 I was there from 1997 - 2000.  So it was the original ADL.  And I swear, I had nothing to do with their bankruptcy.

]]> I was there from 1997 - 2000.  So it was the original ADL.  And I swear, I had nothing to do with their bankruptcy.

]]>