Researchers To Install Solar Panels In Space To Send Energy To Earth

These days there are many discussions about power generation, because of the energy crisis caused by the attack on Ukraine. Since then, people have been asking themselves more than ever: What will energy generation look like in the future? A solar company looks up. Nuclear fusion, wind power, solar power, or classic nuclear energy? These are some of the options currently under discussion.

Because the Ukraine war has shown how dependent mankind is on fossil fuels, not to mention the climate crisis. Accordingly, science and industry are currently looking for alternatives. Chinese company LONGi Green Energy, which is the world’s largest solar manufacturer, is looking to space for the answer. The photovoltaic company has announced that it plans to launch solar panels into space to test whether they can work successfully in orbit and, above all, send the energy to earth.

As Electrek reports, the project is called LONGi Green Energy Future Energy Space Laboratory, which aims to “promote the integrated development of aerospace technology and new energy,” according to a statement. But of course, you take the first step on earth because you want to test the products or components in comparable environments on the ground.

The advantage of solar farms in space would of course be unrestricted solar radiation. According to Wu Zhijian, head of the China Space Foundation, one of the first application areas of solar technology was space travel: “The development of photovoltaics and space travel are inseparable. Photovoltaic technology has always been the most important power generator for space travel.”

How does the energy get to earth?

The crucial question is, of course, how the energy is transported to earth. To this end, scientists at Xidian University in Shaanxi province announced last June that they had successfully tested a complete system model that can wirelessly transmit solar power from space to Earth.

Bloomberg explained how it works: “It captures the sunlight high above the ground and converts it into microwave rays. These are then transmitted through the air to a receiving station on the ground, where they can be converted back into electricity. While the model uses the energy only Sending power 55 meters through the air, researchers hope the technology could one day be expanded to send power from orbiting solar panels to Earth.”