As a prototype prepares for tests in orbit, Nature looks at five of the biggest challenges for space-based solar power.
The European Space Agency is investigating whether orbiting solar arrays could beam renewable energy to Earth, as shown in this artist’s illustration.For 100 years, people have dreamed of sending vast arrays of solar panels into space and beaming their energy down to Earth. Unlike intermittent renewable-energy sources on the ground, these orbiting panels would always bask in bright sunlight and would potentially offer a continuous supply of power.
China has announced plans to put a megawatt-scale demonstration unit in low-Earth orbit in 2028, before deploying another system to a more distant geosynchronous orbit in 2030. Carpenter says that, with sufficient funding, the first multigigawatt solar power station could be operational by 2040. But despite the excitement, huge technical hurdles remain.looks at five big questions that researchers must answer to make space-based solar power a reality.
The cells will also need to withstand intense radiation in space. Yet the robust solar photovoltaic materials used in many space probes are too expensive to deploy in a huge array, so researchers need to know how cheaper alternatives will perform, says Radulovic. Converting solar energy into electricity, then into microwaves, and back into electricity on the ground, will inevitably incur some losses. “Nobody’s going to consider this idea seriously until those losses are significantly reduced,” says Radulovic. ESA estimates that only 10–15% of the solar power falling on a space array needs to be delivered to the electricity grid for a system to be economically viable.
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