Harvesting Energy in Space

How does the Earth get rid of the additional waste heat that the power makes once it has been sent to the surface and used? After all, it cannot increase its radiative surface area easily....

Beam me down, Scotty, and fry some butterflies along the way....

"...a space-based collector could, enthusiasts claim, yield on average five times as much power as one located on the ground." "Scientists speculate that a space-based solar collector could yield five times more power than a ground-based system because it avoids absorption by the atmosphere." Last I heard orbital insolation was ~1350 W/m^2, and a good rule of thumb for terrestrial insolation was an even 1000. Who are these 'scientists', or did I really miss an important lesson in my solar energy engineering class?

Solar power collector in space is a lavish & misleading dream for ground use.

There are plenty of cost effective renewable energy resources for the planet's use.

Solar power for space crafts & space stations- yes it is a worthy attempt, because it is the only option in space.

Have the best discretion on solar power for where.

Solar power is about the only energy source that isn't renewable. Where does one get a new star from? Screwfix (usual disclaimer)?

Everything else is renewable - it's only a matter of timescale.

Scientists speculate that a space-based solar collector could yield five times more power than a ground-based system because it avoids absorption by the atmosphere.

Maybe 5 times more on a cloudy day. Solar power is not really competitive on the ground (except in remote locations), much less with the added cost of launching and maintaining a large satellite power station. It's an interesting concept, but not very practical.

I think that the writer of the OP may have been an English major?