The Sun
Photo credit: W Mells (ppsh1944) Photobucket
- Global energy distribution – sunlight reaches everyone on the planet at roughly 1000W/m2
- Easily available to anyone – sunlight is available to everyone regardless of social or economic status
- Maintenance free – unlike conventional power plants, the Sun requires no maintenance
- Inaccessible to attack – at a safe 150 million kilometres away, this space based power plant cannot be attacked
- No waste material – the Sun is actually a giant nuclear fusion reactor which fuses hydrogen into helium. While nuclear power on earth results in radioactive waste material that can remain deadly for hundreds or thousands of years, there are no such waste products to dispose of from this reaction.
- No upgrades or modifications required. Ever. – A regular power plant requires costly upgrades and modifications after a certain number of years. The Sun on the other hand has been producing power for 4.6 billion years using its original equipment! With an estimated 5 billion years to go, there is no concern about upgrades.