New Scientist has an article Why sustainable power is unsustainable . It suggested that because of the limits of indium and platinum solar and hydrogen may not be real options for wide scale use.
What Does This Mean For Space Development?
Will expensive solar cells be put in space because they are more efficient up there?
Will this drive lunar manufacture of solar cells and asteroid mining?
Or will the rise in demand be matched with new searches and finds of these materials so it quickly becomes a no issue.
Decent combined cycle heat engines can get up to 60 efficient.
Phil Chapman makes that case that solar power sats using heat engines are the best way to go.
Keith Henson
http://www.htyp.org/dtc
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