Solar array issues for a Space-Based Solar Power system

Because of significant looming energy and environmental problems, interest has been reawakened in revisiting the concept of Space Based Solar Power (SBSP). SBSP satellite designs have been proposed with various configurations, and many authors have proposed the use of thin film arrays instead of the current III-V based multijunction solar cells. However, most of the environmental issues have not been addressed with thin film arrays (a-Si, CdTe, CIGS, MJ IMM, etc.). All these types of arrays will have to address the environmental issues as well as the practical issues of operating voltage and orbital constraints. In this paper we will discuss the following issues: array operating voltage, arcing, surface charging, temperature cycling, solar pressure, cell fill factors, radiation damage and configurations. We will also provide mitigation approaches for the most serious of these issues and their impact on the overall system.