Overview Energy has proven its solar-on-the-move satellite system, which it says is a world first in high-power wireless energy transmission. The company aims for megawatt transmission from space by 2030.
US-based aerospace solar energy startup Overview Energy has announced it is coming out of stealth mode to work on the next phase of commercialization.
Based in Ashburn, Virginia, the company was founded in 2022 and makes satellites that collect solar energy 24/7 in geosynchronous orbit and transmit it back to receivers on Earth. The satellites emit sunlight as safe, low-intensity near-infrared light, using wavelengths already proven in fiber optic networks, medical imaging and security cameras.
The overview has now emerged from stealth mode following the successful transfer of power from a moving aircraft to a ground receiver five kilometers (three miles) below.
The success of the transmission demonstration test proved that Overview Energy’s power beaming system works in motion, which the company says is a world first in high-power wireless energy transmission.
“Imagine sunlight gathering 22,000 miles above the Earth and then arriving as clean energy where the power grid needs it,” said Marc Berte, founder and CEO of Overview Energy. “That’s what we’re making a reality. Our milestone in the sky proved that the nuclear transmission system works in motion – the same foundation that will work in orbit. Solar energy in space will only matter if it powers real demand on Earth, and we’re designing for that scale from day one.”
Overview Energy’s method is now gearing up for a demonstration in low Earth orbit in 2028 to prove end-to-end functionality from space. Commercial operations in geosynchronous orbit will begin with what the company says will be the world’s first megawatt transmission from space in 2030.
Ultimately, a single Overview satellite cluster will serve multiple continents, and the system will be able to shift power supply based on demand.
In recent years, the company has designed its system to meet the requirements of real-world implementation, including technical, safety, economic and regulatory standards. It has already validated its laser and optics system at thousands of watts in the laboratory. The successful aerial transmission demonstration was the startup’s second major milestone on the path to delivering network-scale energy from space, providing the impetus to exit stealth mode.
Overview Energy has raised $20 million to date and counts Engine Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Prime Movers Lab, EQT Foundation, Earthrise Ventures and Aurelia Institute among its backers.
Reed Sturtevant, General Partner at Engine Ventures said, “Their approach to solar energy in space is not just technically ambitious; it was designed from the ground up with real-world implementation in mind.”
“Overview Energy is building an important pillar for our growing energy demand, one that can dynamically allocate energy where it is most valuable and scale without the limitations of ground-based generation and transmission,” Sturtevant added.
The company also claims that it does not need additional land for its receivers as it uses existing and future solar power plants as receivers.
Overview Energy operates in a niche but competitive field in space solar energy. Other companies innovating in this sector include Space Solar, Eternal Sun and Extraterrestrial power.
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