The ongoing energy crisis in Europe, driven by skyrocketing fossil energy costs, has amplified the urgency for a transition to renewable energy.
Imagine a future where Europe gets its renewable energy not from wind farms or solar panels on the ground, but from an array of high-tech satellites hovering in space. This isn't the premise for a science fiction novel - it's a reality that the European Space Agency (ESA) is striving to achieve with its ambitious SOLARIS project.
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Inconsistency of renewable energy production on Earth
The SOLARIS project aims to overcome some of the typical problems with renewable energy production, such as the inconsistency of wind and sunlight.
ESA wants to create a system using solar panels in space, constantly absorbing and converting sunlight into energy 24 hours a day without being bothered by earthly weather conditions. The plan involves sending multiple satellites up into Earth's orbit that are designed to send power back down to Earth wirelessly.
The potential benefits of this plan are massive. It could prevent energy shortages in the future and cut down reliance on expensive, large-scale energy storage solutions.
How to safely and efficiently transmit energy from space to Earth
The ESA Council approved the SOLARIS project in November last year. The next phase involves a series of studies, set to take place over the next two and a half years in partnership with the European industry. These studies will assess the feasibility, benefits, risks, and implementation options of the project.
The study phase will primarily be research-focused, with the main challenge being the safe and efficient transmission of solar energy from space back to Earth.
A broad spectrum of options would be explored, from radiofrequency radiation and lasers to simple sunlight reflection using ground-based solar parks.
Global interest in energy from space
The European Space Agency isn't the only one looking into energy from space. Globally, interest in space-based energy is growing.
Early this year, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) launched the Space Solar Power Demonstrator satellite to investigate the feasibility of generating and transmitting solar energy from space to Earth.
Recently they successfully transmitted power from space to Earth for the first time ever. The project aims to democratize access to energy, eliminating the need for ground-based infrastructure to receive power and potentially providing energy to remote or disaster-stricken areas.
China and Japan have set demonstration dates for 2025 and 2028, respectively, and the British government is in talks with Saudi Arabia about supplying the future megacity of Neom with space-based, carbon-free electricity.
Climate-neutral by 2050
Looking to the future, if all goes according to plan, by 2025, Europe could make an informed decision about the feasibility of the SOLARIS project based on the studies' results.
The decision would pave the way for the development of a prototype that demonstrates the best approach to transmit energy from space back to Earth. The SOLARIS project encapsulates the spirit of the European Union's ambition to be climate-neutral by 2050.
Achieving climate neutrality within the next 25 years using existing technologies is a daunting task. However, alternative solutions, such as the SOLARIS project, present exciting possibilities in the global pursuit of renewable energy and climate change mitigation.
Sources and further reading:
SOLARIS (European Space Agency)
In a First, Caltech's Space Solar Power Demonstrator Wirelessly Transmits Power in Space - (Caltech)
Harnessing the Sun's Power from Space: Can Solar Power Satellites Solve Our Energy Crisis? (Universal-Sci)
2050 long-term strategy - (European Commission)\
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