Figure 4.2 Driving Requirements for Space Solar Power Program System Design 4.3 Technology Options 4.3.1 Power Options First a comparison of photovoltaic and solar dynamic power is made [Hamakawa, 1981]. Advantages of photovoltaics are the following • No moving parts • High reliability • Long life • No vibrations Vibrations add an extra burden on the attitude control system. Reduction of these is significant. Photovoltaics generate direct electrical power with constant efficiency regardless of the scale of the system and it is suitable for mass production. A disadvantage of photovoltaics is that the solar cell cost is high. Solar dynamics have the advantage of high efficiency for large scale systems, while a disadvantage is the presence of moving parts. These lead to low reliability, short life and vibrations. It is difficult to find unbiased information about trades between photovoltaics and solar dynamics. The trade is often colored by it being made by a proponent of the one or the other system. Figure 4.3
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