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Terrestrial mass-market needs for off-grid power generators offer applications and challenges for space research. Synergy between research on extraterrestrial in situ resource exploitation, and research on terrestrial mass-market needs for standalone power generators, offers avenues to advance both, with large potential impact on the quality of life. The technologies have been shown to work. However, closing the business case for such devices requires careful definition of requirements and attention to a wide array of issues. In this paper, two systems derived from space technology are discussed. The first is a thermoelectric generator for use with rudimentary wood stoves. This is designed to produce enough power for a fan to augment air flow through the stove, a DC LED floodlamp for steady lighting, and an ultraviolet LED water purifier. The power budget for this system will close well under the 10-watt level that is projected for a single semiconductor thermoelectric generator; however serious challenges remain in active thermal control. The second system is a thermophotovoltaic generator for use with trash incinerators sized for middle class families or neighborhoods. Radiation from ceramic emitters placed in the incinerator is concentrated and filtered into a set of photovoltaic cells tuned to the radiation spectrum. Power levels of several tens to hundreds of watts have already been demonstrated from such systems.

The Space Power Grid architecture jump-starts the move towards Space Solar Power (SSP) by setting up a power exchange between terrestrial power plants and customers through Space. A constellation of low-mass, low-risk waveguide satellites starts the first phase. With technical and policy issues settled and the market risk reduced, expansion to full SSP is done using high-altitude ultralight sunlight reflector satellites and 1 GWe converter satellites in mid to low orbits. The baseline architecture published at the 2011 IEEE Aerospace Conference showed the parameter values needed to break even at modest selling price of power and return on investment, inside 50 years from project start, at a total installed level of over 3.4 Terawatts. This architecture is updated with several large improvements and reductions in uncertainty. The waveguide satellites of Phase 1 are now refined using a conceptual design process, and shown to come in under the projected mass. An Intensified Efficient Conversion Architecture (InCA) is used to develop 1 GWe satellites using primary Brayton cycle conversion instead of photovoltaics, delivering very high efficiency and specific power. Several optional paths are explored to reduce power cost and accelerate SSP deployment well beyond 4 Terawatts.

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