—the same place where we have weather satellites—and sending the energy they collect back to Earth via a microwave power beam. The microwave power from space-based solar would be received at a power station and used to generate electricity.
Ali Hajimiri, a professor of electrical engineering and co-director of the Space-Based Solar Power Project at Caltech, tellsthat space-based solar could be an efficient way of generating solar power. He says it may be even more efficient than putting solar panels on land.“There is no day and night or seasons or clouds in space.
Hajimiri says the system could quickly be shut down if something went wrong, such as an electrical issue or if it got damaged. His team has been developing the hardware needed to generate solar power in space. He adds that these systems could be set up in a modular fashion, which means they could be put together piece by piece. A square of photovoltaics could be sent up to start, and more components could be attached down the line.