2021: the year of solar?

The innovation of the day is the arrival of a new generation of solar power plants.

Last November, photovoltaics officially became the cheapest energy to produce (cheaper than coal and gas).

Suddenly, at the beginning of the year, gigantic projects are multiplying.

For example, we have just approved the financing of the largest solar power plant ever built.

It will be installed near Abu Dhabi in the Emirates.

And it will have a power of two gigawatts, almost twice as much as a conventional nuclear reactor.

Above all, electricity will be produced there at the record price of a tenth of a cent per kWh.

By way of comparison, in France with nuclear power, we are at 15 cents.

So it will be 10 to 15 times cheaper with solar.

But it's still an energy that can't stand bad weather.

Only in countries like the emirates where you can bet big on solar energy.

It is true.

But soon, we will also have solar power plants that operate day and night, even in bad weather.

How? 'Or' What ?

By installing solar panels in space.

There will be no more clouds, no more atmosphere, therefore a sun which is always giving its maximum energy power.

There is nothing smoky about it.

It is even very serious since the Americans have just finalized the first part of their Arachne project, which plans to test a solar power plant in space in 2024.

But how do we return electricity to the earth?

With a beam of radio waves and a ground station that converts the signal into electricity.

We know it's doable.

Moreover, the Americans are not the only ones.

The Japanese and especially the Chinese are also planning tests this year.

Because space solar has a huge advantage: not only does it produce day and night, but in addition, it no longer occupies any space on the ground.