A Virginia-based startup, Overview Energy, has secured $20 million in funding to develop a system for beaming solar power from orbit to Earth around the clock. The company plans to use a constellation of satellites to collect constant sunlight and transmit it via near-infrared lasers to existing solar farms on the ground. This approach aims to make solar infrastructure productive even at night, enhancing grid stability. A recent successful airborne test, which transmitted power from a plane to standard solar panels, has served as a crucial validation of the core technology, paving the way for future orbital deployments.
Overview Energy is advancing a novel solution to intermittent renewable energy by tapping into the constant sunlight available in space. The company’s strategy involves placing satellites in a geosynchronous orbit, approximately 36,000 kilometers (about 22,000 miles) above the Earth’s surface. From this vantage point, the satellites can harvest solar energy continuously. This energy would then be beamed down to terrestrial solar installations, allowing them to generate electricity during the 65% to 75% of the day they are typically inactive, such as at night or during heavy cloud cover. The company suggests this could stabilize electricity prices and increase the resilience of critical power grids.
To demonstrate the feasibility of its concept, Overview Energy recently completed a significant airborne test. A Cessna aircraft flying at an altitude of 5 kilometers (approximately 3 miles) successfully transmitted power via laser to a ground receiver made of conventional solar panels. The company claims this is the first successful demonstration of high-power wireless energy transfer from a moving platform using the same optical systems intended for its satellites. This achievement validates the fundamental approach of using existing solar panel infrastructure as receivers.
The field of space-based solar power is becoming increasingly competitive, though different companies are pursuing varied technologies. While firms like Aetherflux and Space Solar are also developing orbital power systems, New Zealand’s Emrod is working on a microwave-based transmission method. Unlike Overview’s laser system, microwave technology requires specialized ground stations rather than existing solar farms and presents challenges related to ensuring the safety of aircraft and wildlife that might pass through the beam.
Despite the successful test, Overview Energy faces significant economic and technical hurdles. The primary challenge will be competing with the falling costs of terrestrial solar farms and rapidly advancing battery storage solutions. Key metrics, such as the system’s overall efficiency and its final Levelized Cost of Energy (LCoE), are not yet known. The company’s roadmap includes a pilot project in low Earth orbit by 2028, with the goal of delivering power from geosynchronous orbit by 2030.