A group of scientists from King’s College London analyzed the potential of SBSP with the help of designs based on NASA’s cost and performance forecasts for 2050.
Their analysis used an near-baseload, low technology technology level (TRL) design with mirror-like reflectors or heliostats, which lead sunlight to a single concentrator, making nearly 99.7% annual electricity availability.
The study showed that this SBSP design can reduce the total system costs by 7% to 15%, can be compensated to 80% of the wind and solar energy and can reduce battery use by more than 70% (although they noticed that hydrogen remains important for seasonal balancing).
Their study, “Rate on space-based solar energy for the low-carbon of the European scale”, was “, was” published In the scientific journal Joule in August 2025.
“SBSP can offer an almost continuous renewable generation and cover a wide range of areas when they are used in space. As we show in the newspaper, the role varies considerably on the system scale,” Dr. Wei he, corresponding author and senior teacher at the Department of Engineering of King’s College London, said PV -Magazine.
The researchers of the King’s College claim that their studies are the first to investigate how favorable SBSP could be for European grids and that it is the first to offer a cost estimate to use this technology on the European market.
Image: Xinyang Che, Lijun Liu, Wei HE, Joule 2025, published by Elsevier Inc.
According to him, the reaction to the study of the PV industry has been mixed so far. “I have received a series of reactions, from excitement to skepticism. Some believe that SBSP is still far removed from the current priorities of the PV industry and electric griders, while other sectors, such as the space and space -Zonne -Zonne -Energy, are very enthusiastic about this assessment.”
When asked whether energy storage companies have reasons to ensure SBSP as a rival technology, he said that this is not the case. “I do not consider SBSP as a great concern for companies in the field of energy storage, because its development will remain very insecure until 2050, despite its great potential. In general, energy storage will remain vital now and in the future, even with the optimistic prediction of NASA for SBSP development.”
“If I were a provider of energy storage, I would follow the progress of SBSP, as well as other continuous clean generators such as nuclear fusion, taking into account their scale and session, and investigating how the role of energy storage changes between locations and over time changes,” the academicist said.
Image: Xinyang Che, Lijun Liu, Wei HE, Joule 2025, published by Elsevier Inc.
Although the newspaper recognized the potential for SBSP to help Europe reach its Net-Zero target white by 2050, the authors added that the feasibility of the technology is still being revised.
In addition to the lower TRL design that produced fascinating results, the scientists also looked at another design -also based on the 2050 projections from NASA. This was a partially intermittent, higher TRL-flat design, which emerged as less cost-competitive than the first option. According to the study, it would need extra cost reductions to compete with both the heliostat design and the terrestrial renewable energy sources.
The first engineering design for a satellite on solar energy was produced by NASA engineer Peter Glaser in 1968. The widespread deployment of SBSP is limited due to issues such as the high capital costs, orbital debris, bundle safety regulation and public acceptance of the earth-scale receiving station.
Recent technological milestones such as multi-junction and lightweight photovoltaic cells that achieve nearly 47% efficiency, and the fact that modular in-orbit assembly, and successful wireless power demonstrations have all achieved central range trl’s suggesting that SBSP can eoluate “, of a niche-conception”, “of a niche-conception”, “of a niche-conception” The paper explained.
The paper added that the costs in connection with the launch of these systems have been considerably reduced as a result of reusable launch vehicles and that the progress in system design has further strengthened the technical foundations of SBSP.
While obstacles in the orbit manufacture and policy frameworks continue to exist, large space agencies “actively regulated regulating paths, which motivates the need to understand the potential contribution of SBSP to the net-zero goals,” the newspaper noted.
Image: Xinyang Che, Lijun Liu, Wei HE, Joule 2025, published by Elsevier Inc.
The private industry also makes waves and SBSP is a growing industry. The company Space Solar, established in the United Kingdom, recently demonstrated the viability of the production of in-orbit as part of the Cassidi research program.
“When developing this work, as described in the newspaper, we did not consult British or broader European space companies, because the SBSP specifications are fully based on the NASA report. We are now connected to companies such as Space Solar and have started discussions about SBSP,” he said.
The paper of the scientists says that Europe can use its tradition of multinational cooperation-including cross-border electricity exchange and satellite companies under the European Space Agency-to develop and exploit a centralized SBSP infrastructure.
“As a solution on continent scale to offer a stable, renewable range based on baseload scale, SBSP would reduce the dependence on the continent of gas -fired power, reducing emissions and improves energy security,” the paper said.
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