Solar Panels in Space: The Next Clean Energy Revolution
Installing solar panels on Earth has several limitations due to nighttime and sudden atmospheric changes. All these factors reduce their efficiency to 15-22%, resulting in significant waste of sunlight.
The steadily increasing demand for energy has raised the idea of installing solar panels in space because sunlight is continuously available there. In 2024’s SBSP report, NASA revealed that the successful execution of the plan can provide enough energy to supply the countries.
Ali Hajimiri, co-director of SSPP at Caltech, stated that “This is the first time any spacecraft has collected sunlight in space, converted it to electricity, and beamed it to Earth.” Similarly, the European Space Agency’s director general, Josef Aschacher, says, “space based solar power could be a game changer in our quest for clean, continuous energy.”
How It Works: From Orbit to Earth
At the initial stage, the solar panels are fixed in Earth’s orbit at a height of 36,000 km using satellites. They are fixed in one spot and receive constant sunlight. They receive sunlight and turn it into laser beams to safely send over Earth.
The current efficiency of these panels is 40-50%, of which 85% is converted into usable energy. However, according to NASA, this process requires a 1 GW SBSP system to cover 1–2 km² to maintain a constant energy supply.
It required a considerable investment and time to settle. Ray Kurzweil stated that “solar panels are coming down dramatically in cost per watt…..the total amount of solar energy is growing, not linearly, but exponentially.”
Who’s Leading the Race?
Global countries are investing in future projects to extend their energy resources. In this context, the UK government confirms that “Space-based solar power offers a solution to the intermittency of terrestrial renewables delivering energy 24/7, regardless of weather or time of the day.”
Japan announced plans to build 1 GW of space-based solar power stations. China is also using its resources to lay the groundwork for space-based energy, as the GreetingBirds emphasize that “Every panel you place is a small revolution in clean energy.”
The USA has already proved itself a leading country by successfully sending satellites with solar panels. It has also received successful beams from space to Earth in 2025. Several European countries are also working to develop space-based energy systems.
Expected Challenges
Despite its advantages, the plan is not easy to complete. It has several challenges, with cost as the primary concern. The price, which was $10,000/kg previously, has fallen to $1,500/kg due to the use of reusable rockets.
Still, it’s more massive than installing it on the Earth. The second problem is the waste of 30-50% energy during the travel of rays from space to Earth. The implementation requires international coordination to reduce the risk of incorrect satellite-to-object connections.
