91997E3547

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3547/97 by José Valverde López (PPE) to the Commission (12 November 1997)

Subject: Generation of photovoltaic energy using space platforms

Neither the multiannual programme for renewable energy sources nor the new research programme includes plans for producing photovoltaic energy using space platforms.

However, according to scientific literature, the exploitation of solar energy in space has great future potential.

What information has the Commission received on this matter from its scientific advisory committees?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (10 December 1997)

The Commission is aware of numerous articles, especially in popular science journals, about orbiting space stations equipped with gigantic photovoltaic panels to convert solar radiation into electric energy.

As the atmosphere absorbs a significant part of the solar radiation, terrestrial photovoltaic power plants need bigger surfaces for the same power output. They are, however, much cheaper to install than orbiting space stations. Furthermore, the electric current produced can be used directly and does not require conversion to potentially dangerous microwave beams for power transmission to huge antennas on the earth's surface.

The Commission does, however, encourage research on special photovoltaic cells for space applications such as gallium-arsenide semiconductors, because these cells can be usefully employed in terrestrial photovoltaic power plants with concentrating lenses and mirrors.