Uploaded March 2014 | Updated September 2026, 6 minutes ago
Concerns about global climate change have focused attention on a range of alternative energy sources that have minimal or greatly reduced carbon emissions when compared with conventional energy sources. Assessing how feasible and economically viable these alternative energy sources might be is important from a public policy standpoint in order to ensure taxpayer money is invested wisely.
For decades, proponents of Space Solar Power (SSP) have advocated for the development of satellites that would collect and transmit energy for use on Earth essentially 24 hours per day, all year round. This approach is billed as a way to overcome the shortcomings of terrestrial solar, wind, and other energy sources which suffer from intermittency, locale dependence, and other problems.
By using a quantitative means of comparing the possible costs of Space Solar Power, provisional conclusions can be drawn about the markets and conditions that might or might not argue for its development. Likewise, other possible alternative energy sources can be compared on an order-of-magnitude basis by using simple models that identify key sensitivities.
Paul Jaffe is an expert in space systems development and integration. He has over 20 years of experience as an electronics engineer, project lead, and principal investigator. At the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, he has been part of over a dozen NASA and Department of Defense space missions. His interests include novel space systems and technologies, renewable energy sources, and efficacy in K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. He received B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park and an M.S. degree in electrical engineering from the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Jaffe has twice been a recipient of the Alan Berman Research Publication Award. He received the Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, Jr., STEM and Diversity Champion of the year award for 2012.
He was president of NCAS from 1998 to 2003, and he is a proud lifetime member.
Views expressed in this video are those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Capital Area Skeptics.
Concerns about global climate change have focused attention on a range of alternative energy sources that have minimal or greatly reduced carbon emissions when compared with conventional energy sources. Assessing how feasible and economically viable these alternative energy sources might be is important from a public policy standpoint in order to ensure taxpayer money is invested wisely.
For decades, proponents of Space Solar Power (SSP) have advocated for the development of satellites that would collect and transmit energy for use on Earth essentially 24 hours per day, all year round. This approach is billed as a way to overcome the shortcomings of terrestrial solar, wind, and other energy sources which suffer from intermittency, locale dependence, and other problems.
By using a quantitative means of comparing the possible costs of Space Solar Power, provisional conclusions can be drawn about the markets and conditions that might or might not argue for its development. Likewise, other possible alternative energy sources can be compared on an order-of-magnitude basis by using simple models that identify key sensitivities.
Paul Jaffe is an expert in space systems development and integration. He has over 20 years of experience as an electronics engineer, project lead, and principal investigator. At the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, he has been part of over a dozen NASA and Department of Defense space missions. His interests include novel space systems and technologies, renewable energy sources, and efficacy in K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. He received B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park and an M.S. degree in electrical engineering from the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Jaffe has twice been a recipient of the Alan Berman Research Publication Award. He received the Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, Jr., STEM and Diversity Champion of the year award for 2012.
He was president of NCAS from 1998 to 2003, and he is a proud lifetime member.
Views expressed in this video are those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Capital Area Skeptics.
