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Future Photovoltaic Power Generation for Space-Based Power Utilities

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Future Photovoltaic Power Generation for Space-Based Power Utilities '. IAF-02-R.4.06 Future Photovoltaic Power Generation for Space-Based Power Utilities Sheila Bailey, Geoffrey Landis, Aloysius Hepp, and *Ryne RaffaeIIe NASA Glenn Research Center, MS 302-1 , Cleveland, OH 44135 *Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623 53rdInternational Astronautical Congress The World Space Congress - 2002 10-19 Qct 2002/Houston, Texas For permission to copy or republish, contact the International Federation, 3-5 Rue Mario- Nikis, 75015 Paris, France This is a preprint or reprint of a paper intended for presentation at a conference. Because changes may be made before formal publication, this is made available with the understanding that it will not be cited or reproduced without the permission of the author. IAP-02-R.4.06 FUTURE PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER GENERATION FOR SPACE-BASED POWER UTILITIES Sheila Bailey, Geoffrey Landis, Aloysius Hepp, and “Ryne Raffaelle NASA Glenn Research Center, MS 302-1, Cleveland, OH 44135 *Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623 [email protected] ABSTRACT This paper discusses requirements for large weight gigawatt (GW) space power generation. earth orbiting power stations that can serve as Investment in solar power generation central utilities for other orbiting spacecraft, or technologies would also benefit high power for beaming power to the earth itself. The military, commercial and science missions. current state of the art of space solar cells, and a These missions are generally those involving variety of both evolving thin film cells as well solar electric propulsion, surface power as new technologies that may impact the future systems to sustain an outpost or a permanent choice of space solar cells for high power colony on the surface of the moon or mars, mission applications are addressed. space based lasers or radar, or as large earth orbiting power stations which can serve as central utilities for other orbiting spacecraft, or INTRODUCTION as in the SERT program, potentially beaming Starting with Peter Glaser’s initial 1968 power to the earth itself. proposal’, many people have discussed use of A significant risk element for any satellite the satellite solar power system [SSPS] as a power system is the photovoltaic array. This means of supplying energy to the Earth to was identified twenty years ago in the National replace fossil fuel sources. The recent Research Council (NRC) review of SSPS2 as prominence of the “greenhouse effect” from one of the most critical areas where burning of fossil fuels has again brought extrapolations from current technology in terms alternative energy sources to public attention, of cost and performance were made. That and the time is certainly appropriate to analysis is still true today. reexamine the SSPS. A recent NASA program, Space Solar Power Exploratory Research and Technology SPACE AND GROUND SOLAR POWER (SERT), investigated the technologies needed to A first step toward space solar power will provide cost-competitive ground baseload be to demonstrate multi-megawatt power electrical power from space based solar energy production with ground-based solar arrays. conversion. This goal mandated low cost, light Proponents of SSPS often disparage the Copyright 0 2002 by fhc Amcrican institute of Acronautics and Astronautics, inc. No copyright is asscrtcd in thc Uuitcd Statc undcr Titlc 17, U.S. Code. Thc U.S.Govcrnment has a royalty-frcc licensc to cxcrcise all rights undcr thc copyright claimcd hcrcin for Govcrnmcntal purposcs. All othcr rights arc rescrvcd by thc copyright owncr. potential use of ground-based solar energy, the most significant statistic in this time period, possibly considering ground-based systems as a however, is the shift in use of photovoltaic competitor. Nothing could be further from the systems from only 15% grid connection in 1991 truth: ground-based and satellite-based solar to 55% grid connection in 2001. Off-grid use power are complementary technologies, and dropped from 60% to 44% in that same time satellite-based solar power will only be period. economically viable if terrestrial power is also Governments worldwide have encouraged viable. This synergy and diversity in space the development of the photovoltaic industry and terrestrial photovoltaics was recently with new manufacturers in India, Korea and discussed3 at the 200 1 Space Photovoltaic many other developing countries. In addition Research and Technology conference. Europe, Japan and the United States are also Experience with ground-based solar power encouraging both domestic production and is a necessary step to assess the technology, domestic markets. Governments have sought to define and trouble-shoot the manufacturing address the relatively high capital start-up costs technologies, and move photovoltaics along the of the photovoltaic industry by identifying and learning curve to low-cost production. guiding opportunities between producers and Many ground sites exist in the US. with over investors, clarifying barriers, instilling 300 clear days per year. Flat-plate confidence in consumers, and improving photovoltaic systems will also provide interactions with other industries that have significant power during overcast days. The solved similar problems. difficulty with terrestrial solar power is that it The U. S. Photovoltaic Industry published a provides power only during the daytime. Solar Electric Power roadmap in April of 200 1.’ Ground-based solar power could be viable for a The roadmap goals were to achieve flexible significant fraction of the power needs of the high-speed manufacturing to create a 200 MW United States due to the fact that the peak loads factory by 2020. The incremental needs were are typically in the da~time.~An additional listed as a 5-fold reduction in module advantageous feature of terrestrial photovoltaics manufacturing costs by 2010, then a 10-fold is the short construction lead-time required and reduction by 2020 with a 40-fold increase in the ability to add capacity in small, modular module manufacturing by 2020. Required increments. This allows photovoltaic actions to achieve these goals were identified as installations to avoid the uncertainty of designing of lower-cost module packaging, forecasting power requirements far in advance, developing high-volume, high-throughput, high- and also allows rapid progress along the learning efficiency cell processes and moving from curve. company-specific equipment manufacturing In the ten year interval between 1991 and toward equipment design that can be transferred 2001 there was a six-fold increase in worldwide to and used by more than one manufacturer. terrestrial total sales and a cost decrease in Both industry-government and industry- modules from $6rW to $4rW and a decrease in university interactions were seen as critical to installed system cost from $12/W to $SN. reaching these goals. All of these issues are also There was also a shift, and in some cases a relevant for future SSPS needs. merger, from the four largest suppliers in 1991, Current photovoltaic module production is ARCO/Siemens, Solarex, Sanyo, and Kyocera, about 400 MW(pwkjyear,and increasing by to Sharp, Kyocera, BP Solar, and Siemens/Shell about 40% per year, as seen in Figure I. as the four largest suppliers in 2001. Perhaps World PV shipments 400 350 300 . 250 -. -~ . n p. goo .. .. -. .. .. I 150 100 50 0 1980 1985 1995 '000 lggoyear Figure 1: Growth in world photovoltaic array shipments, 1980-2001 Cumulative production of tens to hundreds of tolerant and have the potential for being Gigawatts will be required for photovoltaics to manufacturable on thin, lightweight substrates. reach the technological maturity required for Such materials could be ideal for space use. finalizing a SPS design. Several earlier papers have reviewed the Having gained valuable photovoltaic progress of photovoltaic techn~logy.~,~NASA experience with solar energy, when the solar recently formed a technology review committee generation market share begins to saturate that consulted m-ission plaming ofEces, solar demand for peak power, utilities will begin to cell and array manufacturers, and research search for a solar-energy alternative that laboratories to assess solar cell and array provides continuous power. technologies required for future NASA Science missions, beyond 2006. The resulting draft PV TECHNOLOGIES evaluation of the state of the art of solar cells and arrays and their potential evolution over the As yet it is still too early to chose a next five years cross-referenced to the mission technology for SSPS. Among the photovoltaic needs was presented at the 29th IEEE technologies, many different approaches are Photovoltaic Specialist Conferezce in May, still in consideration. One of the leading flat- 2002.* Areas were highlighted where plate photovoltaic approaches is the use of investments in research and technology thin-film photovoltaic materials such as development are required to meet these mission amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride, and requirements. There is also an evaluation of the copper indium diselenide. Coincidentally, such supporting infrastructure required to sustain a thin-film materials are inherently radiation Copyright 8 2002 by ihc American insiituic of Acronautics ana Astronautics, Inc. No copyright is asscrted in thc Unitcd Starc undcr Titic 17, U.S. Codc. Thc US.Govemmcnt has a royalty-frcc licensc to cxercisc al! rights undcr thc copyright claimed hercin for Govcrnmental purposcs. A11 othcr rights are rcscrvcd by thc copyright owncr. viable research
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