In the distant future, the electricity of Europe is not extracted by coal or oil or even huge solar fields- it is extracted out of space itself, through space stations.
It can seem like science fiction, but Space-Based Solar Power is not so far on its way of becoming a reality. In a region that continues to lag behind the rest of the world in terms of decarbonization and net-zero-aligned activities, SBSP has the potential to overturn the way Europe lags in changing its energy landscape.
The Concept: What Is Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP)?
SBSP is basically simple:
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These satellites in geostationary orbit capture sunlight without any interruption by weather clouds or night.
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Then energy is converted to microwave or laser beams, which are sent to the Earth.
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The beams are captured by the ground-based receivers referred to as rectennas, and electric energy is fed into the grid.
While solar radiation in space is roughly the same or slightly greater than on Earth (no atmosphere to absorb it), SBSP would be able to easily produce lots of clean energy more steadily than terrestrial solar farms.
Why Europe Is Looking to the Stars
Europe has undertaken to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050; however, it is not an easy path. Existing renewable sources that are used currently, such as wind, solar, and hydro, have limitations:
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Generation of wind power is subject to the weather.
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Solar power plants require a vast quantity of access to land, and they do not work at night either.
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Hydropower has a restricted geographical location
The solution suggested by SB is a game-changer: a space-harvested energy supply. In theory, the satellites have the potential to meet up to 80 percent of the European electricity market and drastically reduce fossil fuel dependence and energy security because of geopolitical uncertainty.
Why Europe Is Looking to the Stars
Europe has undertaken to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050; however, it is not an easy path. Existing renewable sources that are used currently, such as wind, solar, and hydro, have limitations:
-
Generation of wind power is subject to the weather.
-
Solar power plants require a vast quantity of access to land, and they do not work at night either.
-
Hydropower has a restricted geographical location
The solution suggested by SB is a game-changer: a space-harvested energy supply. In theory, the satellites have the potential to meet up to 80 percent of the European electricity market and drastically reduce fossil fuel dependence and energy security because of geopolitical uncertainty.
Who’s Leading the Charge?
(European Space Agency) ESA: Launched an ESA international initiative called SOLARIS in January 2022 to determine whether SBSP is feasible in Europe.
China intends to test an orbital solar power station by 2028 and roll this out massively in the 2030s.
Japan has been studying SBSP for many decades and is aiming to put it to commercial use in the 2030s.
Private sector: The aerospace giants and start-ups are experimenting with modular SBSP that could be put in space through assembly in orbit.
The Challenges
Naturally, all of this futuristic scenario also has equally strenuous obstacles:
Feasibility: Construction and deployment of the intended Satellites can be theoretically in a couple of hundred billion euros.
Safety: Space-based microwave beaming is also considered a safety hazard to aviation, wildlife, and human exposure.
Engineering: The task of designing kilometer-wide solar arrays that can be launched, assembled, and be operational in space is of immense magnitude.
Politics: Orbital real estate will have to be managed, and the international use coordinated, and this global cooperation will be necessary.
Is It Worth the Investment?
Critics claim that SBSP is a moonshot- expensively and technically difficult to carry when compared to scaling up onshore renewable and nuclear power.
And three strong points to the argument by those who support it:
- 24/7 renewable power -the intermittency issue of wind and solar.
- Space savings- no need to develop land or coastlines in order to cover them with infrastructure.
- Security of energy supply – less reliance on fossil fuel imports in times of geopolitical emergencies.
Assuming success, SBSP might be able to produce decades of constant power after paying back the early cost- and thus, be cheaper than fossil fuels in the long run.
A Picture of the Future
A dream that satellites can provide 80 percent of the energy in Europe may easily be dismissed as an exaggeration; however, the pieces are falling into the right arrangement. But as space technology advances, launch costs fall, and climate pressures increase, in the 2040s and 2050s, SBSP might become real infrastructure.
The true issue is, will Europe invest enough to lead the new energy frontier or cede the lead to others?
One thing is definite: with our eyes focused beyond our planet, the sky is no longer the limit. It is perhaps the sovereign power plant
