The solar powered beaming using lasers to return to Earth from space sounds like science fiction and emerged in Isaac Asimov’s short story in the 1940s.
But that’s exactly what California-based startups are testing. This is a mini solar farm in the shape of a low orbit satellite.
California-based startup AetherFlux is planning to send satellite technology into orbit with its SpaceX rocket next year. Robin Hood Co-founder Baiju Bhatt is the company’s CEO.
“We’re going to do satellite constellations where each of us transmits power through an infrared laser,” Batt said. “And the advantage of this is that, in contrast to one satellite, you can distribute power generation to many satellites, but the places where you can project onto the ground, that is, the actual thing that collects power — can be made smaller.”
Solar power is collected in space and then glows wirelessly through lasers into a network of small ground power stations. Having several stations for collecting energy makes satellite systems more efficient.
“There may be one satellite projecting electricity to one location on the ground. If you keep moving around the earth, you will find another ground station and start projecting electricity there,” Batt explained.
AetherFlux is first working with the US Department of Defense. Batt said it is an important market as it solves the real problem of focusing on the battlefield where diesel generator caravans are targeted by enemy players.
This early stage is appealing to investors like Bill Gates’ groundbreaking energy venture. He says that working with the government first will help expand the company into a wider market.
“The military customers are big enough and it’s difficult enough because they lack better language, so if they can serve their customers, they can build a sign and do it on a large scale. And at that point they removed the cost of technology that could expand to other customers.
In addition to the breakthrough, AetherFlux is backed by Index Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and New Enterprise Associates. Total funding so far is $60 million.
Batt said the technology is currently expensive and the challenge is to increase cost competitiveness with other energy sources. He said he believes advances in launch technology and maturity of components will be key factors.
More satellites with newer versions of the technology should reduce costs.
AetherFlux is not the only company exploring space-based solar farms.
Others include Cal-Tech, Virtus Solis and UK-based space solar. Earlier this year, China announced plans to build a 1-kilometer solar power plant in space that will return continuous energy to Earth via microwaves.
CNBC producer Lisa Rizzolo contributed to this work.
