Solar farms in space could be renewable energy's next frontier [View all]

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https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/solar-farms-space-could-be-renewable-energy-s-next-frontier-ncna967451

Solar farms in space could be renewable energy's next frontier
China wants to put a solar power station in orbit by 2050 and is building a test facility to find the best way to send power to the ground.

March 9, 2019, 6:01 AM EST
By Denise Chow and Alyssa Newcomb

As the green energy revolution accelerates, solar farms have become a familiar sight across the nation and around the world. But China is taking solar power to a whole new level. The nation has announced plans to put a solar power station in orbit by 2050, a feat that would make it the first nation to harness the sun’s energy in space and beam it to Earth.

Since the sun always shines in space, space-based solar power is seen as a uniquely reliable source of renewable energy.

“You don’t have to deal with the day and night cycle, and you don’t have to deal with clouds or seasons, so you end up having eight to nine times more power available to you,” said Ali Hajimiri, a professor of electrical engineering at the California Institute of Technology and director of the university’s Space Solar Power Project.

Of course, developing the hardware needed to capture and transmit the solar power, and launching the system into space, will be difficult and costly. But China is moving forward: The nation is building a test facility in the southwestern city of Chongqing to determine the best way to transmit solar power from orbit to the ground, the China Daily reported.

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