The potential to transmit large amounts of power across very long distances at short notice is a unique feature of the SPS. The exploitation of this capability would permit more profitable operation of a system of SPS units than the provision of base load power, by achieving high load factors on the space segment while delivering daytime power from the ground station linked to local utility grids. Further studies aimed at determining and assessing in more detail the satellite and ground system specifications necessary to achieve these capabilities would therefore be desirable. Decoupling the load factors achieved on space segments from the load factors achieved on rectennas, which are determined by different technical and market influences, permits the operation of each to be optimised. In particular it facilitates the achievement of higher load factors on the satellite than on the rectenna. These are desirable both because the satellite has a much higher capital cost than the rectenna, and because the value of daytime and peak electricity (that is, power with a lower load factor than base-load power) has greater value to utilities than baseload power. REFERENCES [1] DENMAN, O.S. ET AL. (1978), "A Microwave Power Transmission System from Space Satellite Power," Proc. 13th IECEC, SAE, pp 62.8 [2] Cottrill. J.E., (1979). "Economic Assessment of the Renewable Energy Sources," Future Energy Concepts, IEE Conf. Pub. No 171, pp 427-32. [3] Central Electricity Generating Board, (1989), Statistical Yearbook. [4] GELSTHORPE, R.V. and Collins, P.Q., (1980), "Increasing Power Input to a Single SPS Rectenna by using a Pair of Satellites," Electronic Letters, 16,9, 311-313. [5] COLLINS, P.Q., (1985) "Economics of Satellite Solar Power Stations," PhD Thesis, London University. [6] U.S. Dept, of Energy and NASA, (1978), "SPS Ref. System Report," DOE/ER-0023. [7] ARNDT, G.D., AND KERWIN, E.M., (1982), "Multiple Beam Microwave Systems for the Solar Power Satellite," Space Solar Power Review, 3, 4, 201-315. [8] James Capel & Co. (1990), "The New Electricity Industry," May. [9] JONES P.M. and Woite G., (1990), "Cost of Nuclear and Conventional Baseload Electricity Generation," IIASA Bulletin, June.
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