The UK Government has announced a share of £4.3 million in funding for universities and technology to develop space-based solar power.
Using the technology, solar power can be collected from the sun on satellites and beamed back to earth through wireless technology.
The winning projects include Cambridge University, who will develop ultra-lightweight solar panels for the satellites that can function in the high-radiation conditions of space, and Queen Mary University in London, who are working on a wireless system to enable the solar power collected in space to be transferred to earth.
In total, eight projects were given the green light for funding, including MicroLink Devices UK to develop lightweight, flexible solar panels, which could be used for solar satellites; Bristol University to produce a simulation of solar space wireless power transfer; Satellite Applications Catapult to test the electronical steering and beam quality of its space satellite antenna technology; Imperial College London to assess the key benefits and impacts of space solar and EDF Energy’s R&D UK Centre to improve knowledge of the value of introducing space based solar power into the UK’s grid.
The technology is still in the early stages of development, but a study in 2021 found it could generate up to 10GW of electricity a year, a quarter of the UK’s power needs, by 2050. In such circumstances, it could create a multi-billion pound industry, with 143,000 jobs across the country.
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Grant Shapps said: “I want the UK to boldly go where no country has gone before – boosting our energy security by getting our power directly from space.
“By winning this new space race, we can transform the way we power our nation and provide cheaper, cleaner and more secure energy for generations to come.”
Dr Mamatha Maheshwarappa, Payload Systems Lead at the UK Space Agency, said: “Space technology and solar energy have a long history – the need to power satellites was a key driver in increasing the efficiency of solar panels which generate electricity for homes and businesses today.
“There is significant potential for the space and energy sectors to work together to support the development of space-based solar power, and the UK Space Agency has contributed £1 million to these innovative projects to help take this revolutionary concept to the next level.”
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