Orbital mirrors + ground-based photovoltaics: space dream or energy future?

Focus on Solaris, ESA’s ambitious project for 2030

At a time when the energy transition is gathering pace, Europe is exploring an unprecedented avenue for producing clean, continuous electricity: space solar power. By combining orbital mirrors and photovoltaic receivers on the ground, the SOLARIS project, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), could well revolutionise the way we harness and use the sun’s energy. Science fiction or a realistic solution for 2030? We take a look.

What is the Solaris project?

SOLARIS is an initiative launched by the ESA (European Space Agency) to study the feasibility of space solar power stations. The concept is simple on paper, but ambitious in practice:

Why get the sun from space?

Unlike terrestrial photovoltaic installations, space offers permanent sunshine, with no clouds, no night, and no atmosphere to attenuate its intensity. This would make it possible to produce solar energy in a continuous, predictable and stable way – a Holy Grail for tomorrow’s electricity grids.

What’s more, space solar energy requires no fossil resources, generates no waste and has no direct impact on terrestrial ecosystems.

The major technological challenges of the Solaris project

While the idea has fascinated people for decades (NASA was already exploring the concept in the 1970s), putting it into practice raises a number of crucial challenges:

1. Transport and deployment of giant structures

This is one of the key aspects of the project: the transmission of energy from orbit to Earth (generally via microwaves) must be :

2. Long-distance wireless energy transmission

C’est l’un des nœuds du projet : la transmission d’énergie depuis l’orbite vers la Terre (généralement via micro-ondes) doit être :

• very precise (to avoid any loss or danger),
• highly efficient
• and have no impact on human health or wildlife.

3. Cost and profitability

Even if space launch costs are falling thanks to private players like SpaceX, the deployment of orbital power plants remains extremely costly. Long-term profitability will have to be proven in the face of increasingly competitive terrestrial renewable energies.

Ecological and geopolitical issues

 Environmental benefits:

• No direct CO₂ emissions
• No use of agricultural or natural land
• Massive, stable, decentralised production potential.

 Concerns:

• Carbon footprint of materials and launch
• Risks of orbital congestion and space debris
• Consequences in the event of energy targeting failure or error

Note: the Solaris project incorporates a sustainability and safety dimension right from the design stage, with prototypes tested in simulation as early as 2025.

Feasibility by 2030: dream or reality?

According to ESA’s preliminary studies, a small-scale demonstration is envisaged between 2025 and 2027. A first prototype could transmit energy to a terrestrial receiver by 2030, if the tests are conclusive.

At the same time, several countries such as China, Japan and the United States are also stepping up the space energy race. Europe therefore wants to preserve its energy sovereignty by investing now in this breakthrough technology.

Ground photovoltaics + satellites: a strategic alliance

The Solaris project is not intended to replace ground-based solar panels, but to complement them intelligently.
Imagine a hybrid network where space mirrors provide a continuous power supply, while terrestrial photovoltaic panels, like Abora’s hybrid solar collectors, optimise local and thermal production.
It’s a synergy between sky and ground, between high technology and local production.

Will the future of energy be orbital?

With the Solaris project, Europe is entering a new energy era in which space is becoming a strategic arena for renewable energy production. Although the technical and economic challenges remain considerable, the prospects for 2030 are credible. The alliance between orbital mirrors and ground-based photovoltaics could offer a clean, stable and global production model capable of meeting the growing demand for energy while respecting our climate commitments.