From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bangalore, Jan 10: World’s energy needs could be met by exploring the possibility of setting up novel space-based power plants through ``nano energy packs” for transmitting energy to earth from the enormous energy available from the sun, said former President Dr A PJ Abdul Kalam.

 “The sun radiates about 10 trillion times the energy which human consumes across the world today,” Dr Kalam said pointing out that, ``If we are able to extract even a small portion of this energy from the sun, it would be sufficient to secure the energy demands of our future.”

He was addressing the function of Infosys Prize 2011 instituted by the Infosys Science Foundation, a non-profit trust set up by India’s IT giant in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Dr Kalam explained that a space-based solar power plant would prove more beneficial and efficient in power generation over the earth-based power plants.
But he emphasized the need for scientists to focus on three critical areas like space-based solar power plant, earth-based collection system and the medium of transmission from the space to earth.

“There are three major focus areas of research in space-based solar power plants. First component is the space-based solar power plant, the second is the earth-based collection system and the third is an important aspect is the medium of transmission from the space to earth,” he said.

The former President said the earth-based solar power panels could absorb solar energy for six to eight hours whereas the space-based solar power project could collect energy continuously for 24 hours and the energy could be transmitted back to earth by microwave or laser technology.

Pressing for safe energy transmission solutions from space-based solar power plant, Dr Kalam urged for the use of nano energy packs like nano batteries that would be able to store the energy and deliver power when brought back to the earth touching several hundreds of watt hours per kilogram of payload.

“While one could approach the transmission of energy from space through microwave and laser beam of space,” he said one need to think of attempting to transport through nano-energy packs like nano batteries back and forth between space and earth.

``These nano energy packs may contain materials hitherto unknown but would store the energy through reversible chemical reaction or maybe electrical reactions and when brought back to earth can deliver energy per kilogram of payload touching several hundreds of watt hours,” he added.
Dr Kalam said the idea could revolutionise the energy demand and supply situation if the scientists could come out with viable solutions to move forward and would give a tremendous boost to mankind’s progress.