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Space-Based Solar Power Could Reach Grid by 2028
Developing
In Short: A company believes it can beam solar power from space to the grid as early as January 2028, addressing energy intermittency.
An energy company is aiming to revolutionize power generation by deploying solar panels in space, with the goal of beaming solar power back to Earth's grid as early as January 2028.
The concept of space-based solar power is not new, with scientists working on its feasibility for decades. The technology involves capturing solar energy with satellites and transmitting it back to Earth via lasers or microwave beams.
Co-CEO Darko Filipi recently told, 'We really believe that we are able to provide utility-scale power with this technology.' This approach aims to solve the intermittency issue inherent in traditional solar energy by ensuring constant sunlight exposure.
As the world grapples with soaring energy demand, particularly from data center hyperscalers, there is a growing push for innovative solutions. Space-based solar power offers a promising alternative, providing uninterrupted access to solar energy.
What's still developing
- Saudi Arabia Cuts Europe Off From October Crude as Gulf Exports Surge Haley Zaremba is an energy journalist and researcher with more than a decade of professional experience covering global energy systems, land and natural resources, and… The artificial intelligence energy crisis is catalyzing the development pipeline for space-based solar energy.
- Space-based solar is not a new idea; scientists have been working on developing a logistically and commercially feasible model for decades now.
- The company, which is setting up operations in one of the states struggling the most intensely with energy price hikes driven by sprawling data center campuses, thinks that it could beam solar power to the grid all the way from space as early as January 2028.
- As the world rushes to build up more energy production capacity in a scramble to keep up with skyrocketing demand from data center hyperscalers, the public and private sectors alike are increasingly adopting an all-of-the-above approach to energy investing, including next-gen and emerging technologies like putting solar panels into space, where they can access sunlight 24 hours a day.
- The idea is this: by putting solar panels into orbit, the sun will never set on them, thereby solving the biggest problem associated with solar energy – its intermittency.
Sources
- Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.comlink