Could space solar be a source of electricity in Iceland?

Sam Adlen, co-CEO and executive director at Space Solar, told pv magazine the startup has already started identifying potential sites in Iceland where receivers could be located for electricity beamed from space, working in partnership with Reykjavik Energy and local cleantech consultancy Transition Labs.

What makes Reykjavik Energy a good partner for space solar?

Their forward-thinking approach to climate technology, combined with expertise in carbon storage through Carbfix and a long-standing partnership with Climeworks, makes Reykjavik Energy the perfect partner for Space Solar’s initial phase,” Kjartan Örn Ólafsson, CEO of Transition Labs, said in a statement.

Will space solar build the world's first solar power plant?

The British aerospace company Space Solar, in a collaboration with the private climate sustainability company Transition Labs, based in Iceland, have announced an agreement with Reykjavik Energy to build the world's first operational space solar power plant. The idea is not new.

Can Iceland deliver more power to Earth?

This year, the Caltech demonstrator for this technology showed that the technology itself is certainly possible, but it beamed only milliwatts of power to Earth. The proposal for Iceland will have to be able to deliver billions of times more power. There are challenges for sure, so it will be interesting to see if they are met.

Why is Iceland a pioneer in Geothermal space heating?

The country is a pioneer in geothermal space heating. Hot water from the ground heats homes as well as greenhouses that produce nearly half the vegetables consumed in the country, even though it lies above the Arctic Circle. Even some of its streets are heated that way. About one quarter of Iceland's electricity is generated geothermally.

Does Iceland have geothermal energy?

There is no shortage of clean energy in Iceland, a country that sits on top of active volcanos. There is an unlimited source of geothermal heat just below ground, which Iceland is already putting to good use. People look at a geothermal plant outside Myvatn, a volcanic lake in northern Iceland. (Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images)