The start-up aims to utilise large solar arrays in geosynchronous orbit, approximately 22,000 miles above Earth, where satellites synchronise with the planet’s rotation to harvest sunlight. The breakthrough technology will then use infrared lasers to transmit that power to utility-scale solar farms on Earth, allowing these facilities to send power to the grid nearly around the clock.

Building Up The Concept Called Space Solar Energy

The concept of “Space Solar Energy” is taking shape quite nicely in the United States and will likely lead the next-generation clean energy research and development efforts. Among the players taking the lead in the research and development-related efforts in this arena, we have Overview Energy.

As the start-up plan revealed its use of the world’s solar panels as nighttime collectors of power beaming down from space, it also raised USD 20 million, and part of that has now gone toward an airborne demonstration of the start-up’s power-beaming technology. A light aircraft, in November 2025, transmitted power using a laser to a ground receiver over a distance of five kilometres (three miles).

However, Overview Energy will be up against competitors like renewable energy player Aetherflux, which is also pursuing a laser-based approach. Then there are ventures like Emrod (pioneering commercially viable long-range wireless power transfer technology), Orbital Composites (a venture redefining additive manufacturing with advanced composites and robotic automation), and Virtus Solis (which has reportedly designed the world’s first space-based solar power energy generation system) that are developing their versions of microwave-based power transmission, which sends energy wirelessly using a different portion of the electromagnetic spectrum than Aetherflux and Overview.

Betting Big On Microwaves

Microwaves are less sensitive to clouds and humidity than infrared lasers, while the latter can’t transmit in cloudy weather since the suspended water droplets would absorb much of the energy. However, since microwave-based systems can’t reuse existing solar farms, they would have to build their own ground stations.

Also, the ground receivers need to be smaller in shape so that they can keep the costs down. In that case, the energy beams need to be tighter and more powerful to make sure they get caught by the receivers efficiently, without causing collateral damage to birds and aircraft.

While renewable industry players are working to address these challenges, Overview Energy has pitched the reuse of solar farms to mitigate some of those concerns. However, the real deal will be to convince people that energy beams from space are safe and won’t stray off target.

Also, the start-up will have to ensure its laser system is very efficient to prevent a situation where solar energy is converted to infrared light and back again.

The start-up is targeting a 2028 timeline to launch a satellite into low Earth orbit, far below the 36,000 kilometres (22,000 miles) at which it finally intends to operate. The satellite will start sending megawatts’ worth of power from geosynchronous orbit from 2030 onwards.

The innovation will also be facing two more rivals: cheaper grid-scale batteries, which are rewriting the United States’ energy storage rulebook, and nuclear fusion in the long run.

What prevented “space solar energy” from elevating from the concept stage to the commercial one were factors like expensive launches, fragile hardware, and, most importantly, the fact that the technology to beam power safely to Earth wasn’t ready.

However, with the rise of the private space industry, launch costs have dropped more than tenfold, and annual launches have grown massively as well. Mass manufacturing of satellites is now routine. High-efficiency photovoltaics and high-power, high-efficiency lasers have become inexpensive, reliable, and commercially available.

The start-up has set a standard for its action plan of sending megawatts’ worth of power from geosynchronous orbit: transmission must be completely safe for people, wildlife, aircraft, and other satellites, while the whole process should cost less than USD 1 billion, which will make it competitive with its industry rivals.

The start-up also plans to use significantly less land than traditional solar plants with battery storage. The solution has a distributed design, eliminating any single point of failure.

Taking A Pragmatic Path

Overview Energy’s satellites will operate at an altitude of approximately 36,000 kilometres (about 22,000 miles) in geosynchronous orbit, collecting sunlight continuously and transmitting it as low-intensity, invisible infrared light.

Since Overview Energy will be using existing solar projects as its infrared beam receivers, requirements such as new land, construction, and years-long waits for interconnection will be eliminated. The start-up’s satellites will be the first moving power plants, directing energy across regions in seconds and across continents in minutes.

This will lead to a situation where solar projects will be generating revenue during 65%-75% of operational hours, without making their assets sit idle. Utilities will be bypassing congested corridors and drawing on infinite energy reserves above the atmosphere. Households will see lower electricity costs, as satellites will be blunting the peaks that drive price spikes.

Off-takers like data centres will have access to massive energy capacity, which will help them come online in days instead of years.

The business is currently busy solving problems such as sourcing cost-efficient materials, precise tracking, and deployable architecture. The whole operational architecture is being tested and validated from lab to aircraft to orbit. Each phase is demonstrating the same core technology that will operate in space, focusing on real-world constraints, while helping the start-up inch toward its cost targets.

Airborne Demo Bringing The Concept To Reality

In November 2025, the start-up achieved a world first in power beaming, as it transmitted power from a moving aeroplane to solar panels on the ground, covering a distance of more than 5,000 metres in the process.

Overview Energy’s team installed laser and optical systems on a Cessna Caravan and flew at an altitude of over 5,000 m (16,500 ft). On the ground, it installed a receiver of standard solar panels, the same kind used in utility-scale projects or homes.

As the aircraft flew overhead, the system identified the receiver, locked onto it, and delivered power through an eye-safe beam. The panels convert that light into electricity in the same way they convert sunlight.

The whole experiment validated the performance of Overview Energy’s core technical pieces that will realise the concept of “Space Solar Energy.” The proof-of-concept phase has also been completed with the airborne technology demonstration. It will now be followed by a pilot low Earth orbit (LEO) mission in 2028 that will demonstrate the full system’s performance in space. The final step will be the Overview Energy’s geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellites taking over the proceedings in 2029–2030, where they will see the sun 99% of the time.

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The UK government reduced the VAT on solar power from 5% to nil this spring and made solar panel installations more promising. On eBay, searches for solar panels and batteries touched 54% and 134% in June, compared to the same period in 2021. Consumers are also eyeing smart meters to regulate their energy use.

The recent surge is among many booms and busts in the industry, which people call the “solar coaster” because of its unpredictability. Much of this volatility is reactionary to the government’s “feed-in-tariffs” policy, which incentivized households by paying them for solar energy generation.

According to data from consumer credit reporting company Experian, about 1.9 million households’ plans to install solar panels or similar renewables this year.

Springett added that the heavy energy bill due to the Ukrainian war and supply chain disruptions would reduce the time to recoup an installed system’s cost, from 10+ years to around seven. Panels can last 40 years and usually have a 25-year warranty. They cost about £5000-£15000 to install and may take up to three months to connect to the grid.

The solar panel demand rise has also shed light on sourcing issues. The supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic have increased freight rates and led to a scarcity in inverters, which convert DC from panels to AC used in homes.

Conservative MP Nus Ghani, in a debate at the British Parliament last week, pointed out that most panel production happened in Xinjiang. The Chinese province meets 45% of the world’s polysilicon demand – a key component for panel production.

Britain is trying to minimize its overdependence on Chinese panels and triple its solar power capacity by 2030.

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UOB has branches setup in most Southeast Asian countries. Its U-Solar programme was launched in Malaysia, with a potential roll out in Singapore later this year. UOB will also launch the solar programme in other Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand and Indonesia in the future. 

The bank has conducted research with customers on the use of solar energy. It has observed that many of them consider the use of solar power to be costly. 

For that reason, U-Solar offers two solutions to help Malaysian companies purchase solar power with minimum upfront capital.  Companies can purchase a solar power system using UOB Malaysia’s green loan facility—or, apply for a two percent rebate under the Green Technology Financing Scheme 2.01. 

It also offers a zero percent interest installment plan on U-Solar’s online portal for homeowners. The plan is valid up to 36 months for the purchase of a solar system. 

UOB’s platform comprises packages from its Malaysian solar partners ERS Energy, PlusSolar and Solarvest. Corporates and homeowners can install solar panels at homes, factories, and offices with the help of those solar project developers.

According to local media reports, the bank will have different solar partners for each market. The bank, through its collaboration with solar companies will offer installation, commissioning, operations and after-sales service packages. In addition, UOB offers financial solutions and loans to fund capital requirements of solar companies. The financial solutions include sukuks, project loans, portfolio financing and cash management services.

UOB is also offering end-to-end contract-based financing solutions for engineering, procurement, and construction contractors. These solutions range from bid bonds to letters of credit issuance to performance guarantees to working capital facilities.

Wong Kim Choong, chief executive officer of UOB Malaysia, told the local media that, “Through our research and engagement with our customers, we observed that many of them think that using solar power requires intensive upfront capital and is costly to maintain. With U-Solar, we hope to help our customers better understand the benefits of using solar power and to address their concerns of costs by providing them with flexible repayment plans at competitive market rates.”

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Walmart states in the lawsuit that about seven of its stores where Tesla’s solar panels were installed, faced losses due to the incident. The fire is said to have destroyed a large amount of store merchandise. Walmart claimed to require compensation to make substantial repairs.

Walmart stores in Denton, Maryland and Beavercreek, Ohio are few of the outlets where the fire incident is said to have occurred.

Walmart accused Tesla of breaching the contract and of displaying gross negligence over the panel’s safety properties. It began installing solar panels made by Solar City, owned By Tesla in the year 2010, after both the companies struck a deal. As of now, around 240 Walmart stores have installed Tesla solar panels  on its rooftops.

The fires began in March 2018 persisting through December. Walmart states in the lawsuit that in Maryland, the fire punctured the roof causing significant damage while in Ohio the fire prompted an evacuation and closing down of the store for eight days.

Walmart slammed Tesla in the suit for hurrying to launch the solar panels without adequate precautions and safety measures. The retailer further added that detailed inspection of the solar panels led to the exposure hanging and frayed wires susceptible to arcing, where electricity deviated from its path, creating the risk of fire

Tesla, originally known for its electric cars ventured into developing renewable sources of energy, thus acquiring Solar City, a sales and installation company, in 2016 for$2.6 billion.

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The project’s capacity is said to produce up to 200 GW by 2030. This represents 400 GW of globally installed power capacity, and 390 GW of total nuclear power capacity in 2016.

Son said the nascent phase of the project will cost US$5bn for 7.2 GW of solar capacity. In addition, expenses for solar panels, battery storage and a manufacturing facility for panels will estimate to US$200bn, he said.

The official Saudi Press Agency said during the US visit of Saudi Arabia Crown Prince, several MoUs were signed with American-based multinational companies.

Last year, SoftBank raised more than US$93bn for the Vision Fund backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Apple and Foxconn.

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Placing the solar panels on floating buoys will create a cooling effect that will reduce the temperature of the panels and thereby, enhance efficiency of power generation. This will help to achieve longer shelf life.

Cholanat Yanaranop, president at SCG Chemicals, has opined the new system will ensure power generation for factories. Cholanat also said this is an attempt to broaden SCG’s existing operations and the company aspires to penetrate other ASEAN countries.

“It is part of our project to build added value on our petrochemical products … We produce buoys and we try to create new innovation from buoys to create higher value; and it has turned out as a new power-generating system that works for those who have such ponds and reservoirs and want to make use of them,” said Cholanat.

SCG has already launched its pilot power farm projects on a reservoir in a factory in Map Thaput, Cholanat this week. Going ahead, the company said it will introduce a new business by  end of the year that will provide power to systems ranging from 1-5 megawatts.

“It is part of our project to build added value on our petrochemical products …We produce buoys and we try to create new innovation from buoys to create higher value; and it has turned out as a new power-generating system that works for those who have such ponds and reservoirs and want to make use of them,” said Cholanat.

“It is part of our investment of 3.6 billion baht ($114.7 million) this year to create new innovation to create added value to our products and also diversify business from petrochemical to non-petrochemical business to help diversify risks.”

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The industry firmly believes that increased panel pricing will largely affect workers in the industry while a minor portion of manufacturing will benefit from the hike.

Solar Foundation President Andrea Luecke, said in a statement, “After six years of rapid and steady growth, the solar industry faced headwinds that led to a dip in employment in 2017, including a slowdown in the pace of new solar installations.”

The Foundation carried out a survey which reports 86% of solar companies reveal tariff would severely affect their business; and 71% of companies have realised the negative impact from 2017 tariff, prior to Trump’s announcement.

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