UK Announces 4.3 Million Pound Investment in Space-Based Solar Power

Solar panels on the International Space Station, in an undated file photo. NASA

The UK government is planning to invest 4.3 million pounds in the space-based solar power industry that has “huge potential to boost the UK’s energy security.”

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps announced the multimillion-pound government funding on June 13, saying he wants “the UK to boldly go where no country has gone before—boosting our energy security by getting our power directly from space.”

Space-based solar power systems collect energy from the sun using panels on satellites. The power is then distributed to Earth wirelessly in the form of microwaves to dedicated receiver stations.

Four universities and four companies will receive funding from the government’s Space Based Solar Power Innovation Competition (pdf).

“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,” the government said in a statement.

MicroLink Devices UK in South Wales, which was awarded more than 449,000 pounds, aims to develop the next generation of lightweight, flexible solar panels. Another company, Satellite Applications Catapult in Didcot has been given close to 1 million pounds to test the electronic steering and beam quality of its space satellite antenna technology.

“We’re taking a giant leap by backing the development of this exciting technology and putting the UK at the forefront of this rapidly emerging industry as it prepares for launch. 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,” Shapps said.

Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Grant Shapps leaves Downing Street, London, on Feb. 27, 2023. James Manning/PA Media

The technology is at the early stage of development, but the government is relying on its success to fulfil its commitment to achieving net zero by 2050. Space-based solar power could generate up to 10 gigawatts of electricity per year, according to a 2021 study published by the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy. This would cover a quarter of the UK’s energy needs by 2050.

Space-based solar power has the potential to reduce the dependence of Earth-based solar panels on the sun’s visibility. At a sufficiently high orbit, sunlight would be available on a continuous basis.

Imperial College London will study how solar energy from space could be integrated into the electricity grid, while the University of Bristol will produce a simulation of solar space wireless power transfer capabilities.

Global Ambition

The UK Space Agency has contributed 1 million pounds to space-based solar power projects, with the rest coming from Shapps’s department.

The space agency’s Payload Systems lead Mamatha Maheshwarappa recognised the potential for space-energy sectors collaboration.

“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,” Maheshwarappa said in the government’s statement.

One of the main challenges of space-based solar power, according to the European Space Agency (ESA), is that in order to generate optimal, economically-viable levels of solar power, large structures both on Earth and in space are required. With the dropping launch costs, solar power satellites are becoming more economically competitive, according to the ESA.

“A single solar power satellite of the planned scale would generate around 2 gigawatts of power, equivalent to a conventional nuclear power station, able to power more than one million homes. It would take more than six million solar panels on Earth’s surface to generate the same amount,” the agency stated.

The United States, Japan, and China are also working on space-based solar power projects, with some claiming to have successfully transmitted solar power from space to Earth.

Japan is planning to test a space-based solar power project using small satellites in 2025.