Solar cells in space could also bring energy to the dark side of the earth.
Emission-free solar energy has its own challenges. Skorzewiak / Alamy Stock Photo
Solar panels are a smart way to generate energy, but unfortunately their operation is strongly dependent on the weather and daylight. In Finland, the problem is well known.
The European Space Agency ESA is also aware of the problem, and is now working to find a solution to the problem. ESA’s answer is The Solaris Project, which even in its name brings to mind the superweapons of villains in agent movies. The planned implementation of the project also strongly reminds the undersigned of this.
However, this is not about a superweapon, as the project is intended as a response to the energy crisis.
The purpose of the project is to use robots to build a massive number of solar energy collecting satellites in space, which could wirelessly send the collected energy to the ground. In this case, solar energy could also be sent to places where solar energy is not available.
In science fiction, the corresponding structure has been called a solar farm. However, these have not been implemented in practice, at least not yet.
Solar cells in space send energy to earth
Solaris is only at the stage of clarifying how the project could be implemented in practice. ESA granted funding for the investigations in November of last year. Among others, the US consulting firm Arthur D. Little and the Franco-Italian space company Thales Alenia have been hired for the investigations.
According to Autoevolution one of the biggest challenges in the project is how to send the collected energy to the ground. Possible solutions, according to the publication, are radio waves, lasers or beam reflection.
Europe is not the only one planning a solar farm like this. Japan, the United States and China also have similar plans. ESA believes that Europe could be a key solution in the future as a producer of emission-free energy.
The possible expansion of Solaris into a practical project will be announced in 2025.