THE INDUSTRIAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE SOLAR POWER SATELLITE Dr. Peter E. Glaser - Dr. Philip K. Chapman Arthur D. Little, Inc. - Cambridge, Massachusetts Implementation of the solar power satellite (SPS) scenario based on the addition of 10 GW per year to installed generating capacity could have significant industrial impacts as the additions would be comparable to the production requirements of the utility industry which invests about $25 billion a year. The materials and resources to support a 10 GW per year SPS construction scenario have already been studied as part of the DOE/NASA SPS Concept Evaluation Program.1 Therefore, it is important to determine whether the buildup of the required industrial infrastructure would significantly strain industrial capabilities assuming that an SPS design would be evolved which could meet materials and resource supply criteria. An assessment of the impact on the industrial infrastructure of key subsystems of the SPS reference system was performed2 by comparing the SPS production requirements with the present and projected capabilities of U. S. industry in applicable industry sectors. Analysis of the timing of production plant capacity additions and associate capital investment indicated that there is considerable latitude either to delay a plant start-up date to complete development of promising technologies, or to start the production earlier to reduce the impact on an industry sector without a serious cost penalty. The results of the assessment of the impacts on the industrial infrastructure for specific subsystems are as follows: 1. Photovoltaic Subsystem Figure 1 compares the SPS photovoltaic subsystem production requirements with terrestrial growth in the production of solar cells for two scenarios. Terrestrial photovoltaic production capacity was assumed to displace one quad of primary energy in 2000 (the upper bound for the photovoltaic contribution projected in the Solar Energy Domestic Policy Review) which is comparable to the 10 GW per year SPS buildup. The production of the photovoltaic subsystem for a 2.5 GW SPS pilot plant, which would allow the development of production equipment and experience, could be spread over five years. Allowing for inefficiencies in the SPS microwave power transmission subsystem, an annual photovoltaic subsystem production capacity of 600 MW would be required. Additional photovoltaic inventory of 5 GW would be provided by 1994 to meet requirements of the first 5 GW operational SPS prototype in 1994, and to achieve full-scale production in 1995 to support SPS buildup at 10 GW per year. The energy input to the
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