Solar Power Stations in Space Could Be the Answer to Our Energy Needs - Singularity Hub

It sounds like science fiction: giant solar power stations floating in space that beam down enormous amounts of energy to Earth.

Wind and solar farms only produce energy when the wind is blowing or the sun is shining—but we need electricity around the clock, every day.

Earth’s atmosphere also absorbs and reflects some of the sun’s light, so solar cells above the atmosphere will receive more sunlight and produce more energy.

In 2017, researchers at the California Institute of Technology outlined designs for a modular power station, consisting of thousands of ultralight solar cell tiles.

At the University of Liverpool, we are exploring new manufacturing techniques for printing ultralight solar cells on to solar sails.

We are exploring how to embed solar cells on solar sail structures to create large, fuel-free solar power stations.

These methods would enable us to construct the power stations in space.

While we are currently reliant on materials from Earth to build power stations, scientists are also considering using resources from space for manufacturing, such as materials found on the moon.

There is still a lot of work to be done in this field, but the aim is that solar power stations in space will become a reality in the coming decades.

Across the globe, the scientific community is committing time and effort to the development of solar power stations in space.