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Virtus Solis Pioneers Wireless Space-Based Solar Power
Virtus Solis, a groundbreaking startup, is revolutionising the energy industry by collecting solar energy from space and wirelessly transmitting it to Earth. This innovative solution aims to provide a continuous, global power supply, overcoming the limitations of terrestrial solar power that is intermittent and geographically restricted.
Their technology leverages microwave wireless power transmission (WPT), gathering solar energy in outer space where it remains constant and unaffected by night, weather, or seasons. By scaling up existing components found in devices like cell phones and positioning them in orbit, Virtus Solis is creating a utility-scale space-based solar power station.
However, deploying and assembling this infrastructure presents significant challenges. Manufacturing and assembling large-scale solar arrays and transmitters in low Earth orbit (LEO) requires advanced orbital manufacturing or assembly, which is still in its early stages of development. Precision engineering and mass manufacturing at orbital scale demand innovations in manufacturing processes adapted to space environment constraints.
Ensuring efficient microwave power beaming over vast distances with minimal loss and addressing safety and regulatory concerns associated with directing high-intensity beams to the surface are other hurdles. Economic viability is another challenge, as Virtus Solis needs to establish a profitable business model around space-based power generation and transmission.
Despite these challenges, Virtus Solis is forging ahead. They are partnering with companies specialising in orbital robotics and leveraging trends in the in-space assembly sector. The startup is targeting industrial users who need reliable power over long time horizons, starting with a 1-kilowatt demonstration mission planned for 2027.
Virtus Solis is receiving support from the Department of Energy to improve transmitter efficiency even further. The startup is also working to be extremely capital efficient to build and finance the project in a realistic timeframe. Launch costs have become realistic due to reusable rockets, making a 100-year-old idea - beaming energy from space - practical today.
Virtus Solis' system uses radio frequency (RF) beams to transmit energy wirelessly, with high-efficiency receivers converting RF energy back into usable electricity. The startup addresses the inefficiency of wireless power over long distances by using coherent beamforming, which minimises loss.
Dr. Edward Tate, co-founder and CTO of Virtus Solis, brings a wealth of experience in developing electric vehicles and leading simulation efforts in automotive and aerospace. The biggest challenge ahead for Virtus Solis is bridging the capital gap.
The startup's long-term vision is to make wireless energy accessible to homes, mobile applications, and individual consumers. They plan to provide high-efficiency, on-demand energy anywhere on the planet, with a goal to deliver utility-scale clean energy at costs lower than traditional grids.
Initially, Dr. Edward doubted the feasibility of the project but was convinced by the existing technology and the solvable nature of the engineering challenges. Virtus Solis plans to use unique orbital configurations to deliver power globally with just three satellites in highly elliptical orbits.
The startup's receivers are about four times as efficient as solar panels at converting RF to DC. They are targeting first-tier markets such as data centres, desalination plants, mining operations, and industrial campuses.
Dr. Edward's team is using a hybrid strategy for intellectual property protection, with patents on ground-based receivers and trade secrets for space hardware. With these strategies in place, Virtus Solis is well on its way to making wireless energy from space a reality.
- Virtus Solis, specializing in space-and-astronomy and technology, is partnering with industries focusing on orbital robotics to tackle the manufacturing and assembly challenges for their space-based solar power station.
- By embracing capital efficiency and building on existing technology, Virtus Solis, a pioneer in finance and energy, aims to make wireless energy from space accessible to homes, mobile applications, and individual consumers in the future.
- Leveraging innovation in wireless power transmission, Virtus Solis' goal is to deliver high-efficiency, on-demand energy anywhere on the planet, aiming to provide utility-scale clean energy at costs lower than traditional grids, revolutionizing the science and industry of energy.
