as not being critical and the influence on human beings, flora and fauna is expected to be neglectable - a proper technical solution provided. A solar power satellite can only contribute to solve the world's energy problem if a positive net energy balance can be expected, i.e. if the amount of energy needed for its construction, in-orbit installation and maintenance is less than the energy which the SPS delivers to Earth during its lifetime. The energy effectiveness in this sense is a prerequisite for a cost-effective power satellite. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the energy which has to be invested and determine the minimum lifetime of a SPS in order to reach the energetic break-even point resulting in a net energy output. This paper will not consider feasibility nor economical aspects of a SPS, as discussed elsewhere, e.g. in [4], [5], [6],
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