The company Meta is entering into an ambitious project of energy production from space, through a partnership with the startup Overview Energy, with the aim of powering its data centers even during the night.
Meta is increasingly increasing electricity consumption due to the development of AI systems, so it is looking for alternative solutions that overcome the limitations of classic solar power plants. The problem with solar energy is obvious because production stops at night, which requires batteries or other energy sources.
Satellites as a source of energy for the night operation of data centers
Overview Energy is developing a concept that circumvents that problem. The idea is that satellites in space collect the sun’s energy without interruption, then convert it into infrared radiation and send it back to Earth. That radiation would then be received by existing solar power plants and converted into electricity.
Unlike the earlier concept that used lasers or microwaves, this approach uses a broad infrared beam of lower energy value, which should simplify regulation and increase application safety.
Meta has already reserved a capacity of up to one gigawatt of energy from this system, which shows the seriousness of the project. The plan is to carry out the first test of energy transfer from orbit in 2028, while commercial application could begin around 2030.
In the long term, a fleet of about 1,000 satellites in geosynchronous orbit could cover much of the planet and provide continuous power to solar farms, even when they are in the dark. This would significantly increase the profitability of solar power plants and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
If the project proves successful, it could change the way energy is produced and distributed, especially in the era of accelerated development of AI infrastructure and growing energy needs, writes TechCrunch.