Breaking News from energyhelpline.com: the gas & electricity switching service that compares all energy suppliers Cheap energy could soon come from space - 25/01/2010
An ambitious new project could see energy suppliers provide consumers with solar energy collected in space.
Engineers at EADS Astrium, the largest space company in Europe, are working on a prototype satellite, which will be able to gather solar energy from the sun while orbiting earth, reports the Telegraph.
The solar energy will then be concentrated into powerful laser beams which will be transmitted back to earth, where it is used to generate electricity for domestic and corporate use.
The satellite "power stations" will be able to provide energy on demand 24 hours a day and it is hoped that the scheme will help reduce dependency on non-renewable sources, while increasing the proportion of cheap energy supplies.
Matthew Perren, head of innovation at Astrium, told the Telegraph: "There is a global need for increased energy generation that does not have an environmental impact."
Energy and climate change minister Ed Miliband recently reaffirmed the UK's commitment to eco-friendly cheap energy at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.
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