Suspended aerial solar power generation

How do solar panels & arrays work?

Solar panels & arrays are constructed from individual solar cells connected in series to form strings and in parallel to form circuits mounted on a substrate backing (e.g., figure 3.2). While very low power CubeSats and SmallSats may only need body-mounted solar panels, most will require more power from deployed solar arrays.

What are the disadvantages of solar energy expansion?

Drawbacks to solar energy expansion are that traditional ground-based PV systems require large land areas for installation, demand routine cleaning with substantial volumes of water to maintain high energy conversion efficiency and suffer from heat-related voltage losses when installed in warm climates 3, 4.

Are floating solar panels a sustainable solution?

Solutions that can support multiple sustainability goals related to clean energy, and resource use efficiency, will be crucial in the near future. The study estimates the potential of floating solar panels on reservoirs globally to generate renewable energy, reduce water losses and conserve land.

What new technologies are being developed for space-qualified power generation?

New technologies continue to be developed for space qualified power generation. Promising technologies applicable to small spacecraft include advanced multi-junction, flexible and organic solar cells, hydrogen fuel cells and a variety of thermo-nuclear and atomic battery power sources.

What is the tilt angle of a solar array?

The tilt angle is equal to latitude but does not exceed 20° to maximize incoming solar radiation and reduce the risk of wind and waves damaging the array 54, 55. The distance between two rows is 20% larger than the height of the modules from the floats to avoid the negative effect of shading adjacent panels 56.

How efficient are four-junction solar cells?

Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems has developed different four-junction solar cell architectures that currently reach up to 38% efficiency under laboratory conditions, although some designs have only been analyzed in terrestrial applications and have not yet been optimized (Lackner).