The Efficiency Chain: Microwave Systems
How much of the sunlight collected in orbit reaches the grid, step by step?
Chapter summary
about 18% in Setcoin's reference microwave chain.
Key takeaways
- 1
Solar cells convert about 30% of sunlight to electricity; the electronics convert about 85% of that to microwaves; about 90% of the beam is captured by the rectenna; the atmosphere passes about 95%; the rectenna converts about 85% back to electricity; and grid connection loses another 3%.
- 2
From electricity in orbit to electricity on the grid, about 60% survives.
- 3
Each percentage point matters, because every watt lost must be made up with more mass in orbit, which costs launch.
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The Ionosphere and the Upper Atmosphere
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