Europe to Fund Study on Beaming Solar Energy From Space

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Image copyright: European Space Agency/Public Domain [via Greek Reporter]

The Facts

  • The European Space Agency (ESA) this week agreed to fund a study testing whether huge space-based solar farms could be cost effective. The SOLARIS project proposes converting sunlight collected in space to microwave energy, before transmitting it to the earth's surface. Researchers will thus run trials over three years to see if electricity can feasibly be beamed wirelessly into millions of people's homes from orbit.

  • Energy from sunlight can be far more efficiently collected in space as solar panels are not obscured by clouds and, unlike on earth, there is no night. ESA's director general Josef Aschbacher has said that such collection could be an "enormous" help to tackle future energy shortages, but it is only one of several options being discussed.

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The Spin

Narrative A

This is not only a technological triumph — considering the climate and energy crisis currently faced by the world, SBSP could also be a key part of the solution to the greatest global problem of this generation. The SOLARIS proposal could well make Europe a leader in the pursuit of scalable clean energy solutions.

Independent

Narrative B

This is not only about technology or renewable energy — growing interest in SBSP is down to international competition when it comes to climate-related goals. China has become increasingly interested in SBSP, and the international pursuit of the technology reflects an increasing militarization of space and, more broadly, military dominance.

The Strategist

Metaculus Prediction