energy question...please help?

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shortypr16

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Let us assume that average energy consumption for US remains about 1020 Joule/Year, for long term future. Energy of typical solar flare is 1025 J, if tapped somehow, will power US ___________ years.
 
Hi. Just over a year if it could be captured, stored, and used at 100% efficiency..
 
I assume these numbers are 10^20 and 10^25. 25 - 20 = 5. 10^5 = 100,000. So, at 100% efficiency, that's 100,000 years.

But even if you could only get 1% efficiency, a millennium is a long time.
 
The energy in the flare will be less in total and much less dense once it has reached the distance of Earth's orbit. Don't forget: the escape speed from the sun's photosphere is about 610 kilometers per second. That's a huge delta-vee and it corresponds to a huge loss of energy for anything climbing out of it. As the flare rises, it will also expand and cool. By the time it gets to us, it won't be much of an energy resource.
 
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