LONDON — A California-based startup wants to launch a constellation of orbiting mirrors that would beam sunlight onto solar power plants to boost renewable electricity production after dark. A prototype of a light-reflecting satellite could go into orbit next year.
Ben Nowack, founder and CEO of Reflect Orbital, introduced the company’s plans at the International Energy from Space Conference here last week.
Reflect Orbital predicts a constellation of 57 minor stars satellites It orbits the Earth in a sun-synchronous polar orbit formation at an altitude of 370 miles (600 kilometers). In this orbit, the satellites would circle the planet from pole to pole while orbiting beneath it. Satellites would fly over every point Soil at the same time of day, making two passes in 24 hours. Nowack said that the combination of 57 satellites will provide 30 more minutes of sunlight to power plants when energy is needed most.
“The problem is that solar energy is not available when we really want it,” Nowack said at the conference. “The more solar farms we build, the less people want it during the day. It would be really great if we could get some solar energy before sunrise and after sunset, because then you could actually charge higher prices and make a lot more.” “We think that a lot of money and reflector-based technologies can solve this problem.”
Relating to: Space-based solar power could be one step closer to reality thanks to this important test (video)
According to the report, the cost of solar panels has fallen by 90 percent in the last 15 years. International Renewable Energy Agencyand their efficiency continues to increase thanks to advances in photovoltaic technology. In this way, solar energy has become the cheapest type of electricity available to humanity so far. Carbon Summary.
But the intermittent nature of solar energy production is a problem that experts are still trying to solve. On cloudy days, solar power plants are less efficient than when the sky is clear. At night, solar energy production stops completely. Battery systems and other renewable energy sources could fill some of this gap, but so far nuclear, coal and gas-fired power plants are needed as backup.
“It is very easy to replace the top 1% of the energy grid with renewable energy,” Nowack said. “The last 1% is very difficult to replace. That’s the energy you need on a rainy day, not a windy day.”
Reflect Orbital’s satellites will weigh just 35 pounds (16 kilograms) each and be equipped with 33-foot by 33-foot (9.9 by 9.9 meters) mylar mirrors deployed into orbit. Mylar is a plastic material used in space blankets, insulators, and packaging. The mirrors are designed to concentrate light into a narrow beam that can be directed and focused according to the demand of solar farm operators.
“We want to make this as easy as possible; log on to a website, tell us your GPS coordinates, and we’ll give you some sunshine after dark,” Nowack said.
He added that the mirrors were designed to prevent light pollution.
Relating to: Japanese satellite will beam solar energy to Earth in 2025
RELATED STORIES:
— Could space-based solar energy really work? Here are the pros and cons.
— A solar power plant in space? Britain plans to build one by 2035.
— Experiment shows space-based solar power could actually work
“If you are about 10 kilometers away [6 miles] When you look directly into the sky from the edge of a solar farm field, you won’t see any light, Nowack said. “If you look in the direction of the solar farm, you can see a shining light as if there is construction going on.”
Last summer, Reflect Orbital tested its mirror on a hot air balloon floating 3 km above a solar farm. According to Nowack, the company has managed to produce solar panels at “500 watts per square meter” (11 square feet), which is “half the brightness of the sun.” The company has secured funding to fly its first test satellite in space next year.
Other teams are working on orbiting mirror concepts to increase solar energy production. For example, the University of Glasgow in Scotland is leading a European research project called SOLSPACE; This project is also examining the possibility of placing satellites in orbit equipped with thin reflective panels to direct sunlight towards large solar farms at the beginning and end of each day. Electricity demand is at its highest.
Russia tested orbital mirrors with the Znamya project in the 1990s. The Znamya 2 mission was launched in 1992 and placed a mirror in orbit, which briefly shined light toward Earth, traversing Europe from Southern France to Western Russia. Satellite crashed again earth atmosphere just a few hours later.
But orbiting mirrors also have competitors. Speaking at the London conference, Andrew Williams of the European Southern Observatory warned that orbiting reflectors, if not carefully designed, could shine brighter than the brightest stars and further degrade the satellite. light pollution problem that astronomers are currently facing.
After the launch of the first few batches of SpaceX starlink Astronomers examining satellites in 2019 realized that these low-orbit spacecraft could interfere with astronomical observations and leave traces in the images. SpaceXWilliams said he managed to partially eliminate the problem by modifying the surface of the satellites to reduce the amount of light they reflect.