Solar panels in house ‘could provide 80% of Europe’s renewable power by 2050’ | Solar energy

Solar panels in house may lower Europe’s terrestrial renewable power wants by 80% by 2050, a examine has discovered.

Using an in depth laptop mannequin of the continent’s future energy grid, the researchers discovered {that a} system of space-based panels designed by Nasa may cut back the price of the entire European energy system by as a lot as 15%. It may additionally lower battery use by greater than two-thirds.

The examine, led by researchers at King’s College London, is the primary to evaluate the potential influence of house photo voltaic power on Europe. The space-based solar energy (SBSP) panels that yielded the optimistic outcomes makes use of a heliostat design. The design, which the system imitates, makes use of mirror-like reflectors to gather daylight in orbit. The daylight is then transmitted to stations on Earth and transformed to electrical energy earlier than it’s delivered to an power grid.

The laptop mannequin of the continent’s energy grid spans 33 international locations, and simulates electrical energy demand, technology and storage to determine the lowest-cost possibility to fulfill Europe’s electrical energy wants.

When the researchers built-in the SBSP idea into the mannequin primarily based on Nasa’s predictions of its potential power capability, outcomes confirmed that it may change as a lot as 80% of Europe’s land-based renewable power.

Land-based renewable power is irregular and weather-dependent, complicating dependable provide, and comes at various prices, the researchers level out. SBSPs might be an alternate centralised power useful resource that operates above the environment with steady gigawatt-scale energy.

The authors observe that the modelling doesn’t account for potential impacts from space-specific challenges equivalent to orbital congestion, transmission interruptions or beaming variability, which may affect SBSP reliability and operational efficiency.

Nor may the potential cost-effectiveness of SBSP be realised till 2050 as a result of constructing, launching and sustaining it could be too costly until technological progress reduces its prices.

Dr Wei He, a senior lecturer at KCL’s engineering division and lead creator of the examine, which is revealed in Joule, stated: “There are some risks to consider, such as how the satellite in space could have too many solar panels. Could it cause collisions or be damaged by debris in space?”

Despite these dangers, Wei believes the analysis reveals that SBSP has the potential to assist international locations in reaching web zero. “Renewable energy to replace fossil fuels is the most important action we are taking as humans. Space-based solar power is a potential technology and can provide continuous solar power as a renewable energy source,” he stated.

Japan is already developing SBSP and integrating it into its house and net-zero technique, Wei stated.

Europe may comply with swimsuit, the paper suggests, mentioning the continent’s longstanding custom of multinational cooperation of cross-border electrical energy change and satellite tv for pc ventures underneath the European Space Agency.

The authors consider Europe may leverage its multinational cooperation to develop and function a centralised SBSP infrastructure. In doing so, it may create a continent-scale answer to offer secure, baseload-scale renewable provide, lowering the continent’s reliance on gas-fired energy.

“Now is the time,” Wei stated.