Space engineers from the University of Glasgow have published new research showing how reflectors（反射器）placed in orbit around Earth could increase the output of future large-scale solar farms by reflecting additional sunlight toward them even after the sun has set.
In their paper, the researchers described how they used advanced computer models to help determine the most effective method of using orbiting solar reflectors to produce additional power. Their models showed that putting 20 thin reflectors into orbit 1,000 kilometers from Earth could reflect sunlight to solar farms for an extra two hours each day on average. The additional sunlight could increase the output of the world's future solar farms, particularly after sunset when electricity demand is high. The output could be scaled up further by adding more reflectors or increasing their size.
The team developed an algorithm （算法）to determine how the reflectors could be arranged to catch the sun's rays most effectively, maximizing the additional sunlight reflected to solar farms around Earth in the early morning and late evening. The researchers suggested that 20 reflectors could produce an extra 728 MWh of electricity per day—equal to adding an additional large solar power farm to Earth without the cost of construction.
Dr. Onur Celik, one author of the paper, said, "Solar power has the potential to speed our race to reach net-zero, helping us to relieve the global impacts of climate change by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels." Moreover, the price of solar panels（太阳能电池板）has dropped quickly in recent years, increasing the pace of their adoption and paving the way for the creation of large solar farms around the world.
One of the major limitations of solar power, of course, is that it can only be generated during daylight hours. Putting orbiting solar reflectors in space would help to maximize the effectiveness of solar farms in the years to come. Strategically placing new solar farms in locations which receive the most additional sunlight from the reflectors could make them even more effective.
