Iceland Pulls Ahead of the Crowd in the Race to Put Solar Panels in Space

Iceland is set to become the first nation to receive solar power from space, provided that the ambitious plans of the power company Reykjavik Energy stay on schedule.

Space solar power by 2030. Reykjavik Energy, known as Orkuveita Reykjavíkur in Icelandic, has partnered with the British startup Space Solar and the Icelandic initiative Transition Labs to develop a photovoltaic power plant in space. Their aim is to supply Icelanders with a continuous stream of clean electricity starting in 2030.

Iceland isn’t alone in this endeavor. The U.S., the European Space Agency, and Japan are also pursuing similar projects. However, Iceland is the first country to plan for this uninterruptible source of renewable energy to be integrated into its power grid.

How will the system work? Space Solar’s satellites will capture sunlight directly from space, where solar panels aren’t affected by weather conditions or the absence of daylight. The satellites will transmit the captured energy as high-frequency radio waves to a ground station. This ground station will then convert the energy into carbon-free electricity for Reykjavik Energy’s power grid.

In addition to Iceland, the project also considers Canada and northern Japan as potential locations for ground-receiving stations.

How much electricity will it generate? Space Solar and Transition Labs have ambitious plans. They’ll begin with a plant with a capacity of 30 megawatts, enough to power between 1,500 and 3,000 homes.

If that doesn’t sound ambitious enough, the company aims to expand the system to gigawatt scale by 2036, accelerating the transition not only for Iceland but for the entire world toward a carbon-neutral electricity sector.

A major challenge to overcome: power transmission. So far, only milliwatts of power have been successfully transmitted from Earth orbit. A project of this magnitude would need to deliver billions of times that amount while ensuring that the beam remains safe for both people and wildlife.

Moreover, the infrastructure required to launch a solar plant capable of generating gigawatts would be immense. It would likely be one of the heaviest objects in space, with a structure larger than that of the International Space Station. This would need dozens of launches. Nevertheless, the Reykjavik Energy deal represents a strong vote of confidence in the future of space-based solar power.

Image | Space Solar

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