Reacción a "Solar panels in space could help Europe achieve its net-zero emissions target"

The article by Che et al. provides a detailed analysis of the economic viability of two large space designs oriented towards the Sun (11.5 km² solar panels in geostationary orbit!) proposed by NASA, with the aim of generating solar energy in space and transmitting it to Earth. The idea is very old (1968) and well known in the sector (e.g. the European Space Agency's Solaris project) but had always been considered unfeasible due to the high economic cost and technological challenges. In fact, the article by Che et al. does not address detailed technical issues, such as potential problems in construction, launch, orbit insertion, orbital assembly, space debris generation, the need for new regulatory frameworks, the feasibility of wireless radio transmission to Earth, and the potential impact on astronomy. All of these issues are of vital importance in a project of this calibre.

The most favourable design proposed in the article, according to energy models, is a heliostat with a modular “hive” structure, with multiple hexagonal reflectors operating independently to redirect light towards a central solar concentrator. The modules would offer continuous energy availability of almost 99% per year. The technology required is not easy to develop, although the authors assume that it could be available by 2050, in a fairly optimistic extrapolation. The savings that developing this space-based system would bring to the European energy grid would be 7%–15% by 2050, with energy produced by giant space panels becoming dominant, making its use in the transition of the energy system highly relevant.