base load periods. We have not attempted to forecast the marginal costs at the various locations next century, but have merely taken a ratio of 2:1 as representatives. On this assumption, if satellites were used to provide power only during the daytime period, the duration of which is commonly sixteen hours, they would earn 33% more than if used to provide base load power. Similarly, if a set of satellites were used to supply equal amounts of base and peak power, average satellite revenues per kWh would be 16.5% more than if supplying only base load demand. If the capacity of SPSs to switch the direction of their microwave beams is to be fully exploited, less satellite capacity should be employed than the total rectenna capacity. A set of thirteen satellites, with capacities ranging from 8.4 GW to 12.4 GW, with a total capacity of 130 GW, were allocated positions in geostationary orbit, to serve the sixteen rectennas with total peak demands of 180 GW. Costs at other demand centres in Table 4 are assumed to vary plus or minus 20% from the U.K. A linear programming model was formulated to determine the allocation of power from satellites to rectennas in order to maximise the total revenue earned by the satellites. It was assumed that the revenue to a satellite would be the same as the marginal cost to a utility of alternative supply. The formulation is as follows:
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