The proposed form of uninterrupted photovoltaic production without storage, to supply future colonies on the Moon.

Continuous production of photovoltaic energy on the moon

Scientists have proposed a form of continuous production of photovoltaic energy, on the moon, without using any kind of storage.

The proposal involves installing photovoltaic panels around a 360-degree transverse ring near one of the moon’s poles. With this arrangement, there would be no shading between the arrays, and fixed vertical PV arrays and PV arrays mounted on single-axis vertical trackers became viable structures.

This proposal would allow oxygen plants to be installed on the Moon, without the need for energy storage. The study was published under the titleUninterrupted photovoltaic power for lunar colonization without the need for storagein the Journal of Renewable Energy.

Applicability of the permanent photovoltaic production project

According to the study, to produce oxygen continuously, the plants will need 10 megawatts of continuous solar energy. The researcher says that installing photovoltaic panels in a 360-degree cross ring near one of the poles of the moon can supply oxygen production plants continuously and without any need for storage.

In this way, there will be no shading between the arrays, both fixed vertical PV arrays and PV arrays mounted on single-axis vertical trackers will become viable structures.

This strategy exploits the absence of the lunar atmosphere, the approximate inclination of the moon’s polar axis with respect to the ecliptic plane, lunar conditions that allow cheap low-mass transmission lines, and a lunar diameter much smaller than Earth’s.

Moon colonization

The challenge of colonizing the Moon is to obtain a continuous supply of energy to produce oxygen.

The possibilities of using nuclear or solar energy, with storage, have already been studied, but this new study shows that continuous production of photovoltaic energy without storage would be the most efficient solution.

The researcher testified that… “My solution has a specific mass significantly lower than all alternatives offered to date, a reduction in kg/week, which is necessary for accessible and viable lunar installations, with initial and installation costs greater than $1,000,000/ kg.

This new solution is 100 times better than photovoltaics with storage. It can also be considered as a factor of 6 times higher than the solution given now NASA To use nuclear reactors to run conventional turbines and generators.”

NASA has already announced the possible intention to change its plan to provide the lunar colonies with nuclear photovoltaic energy without storage.