Energy Access and Power Economics
Is orbital solar power actually cheaper than the grid?
Chapter summary
Power is 30–40% of terrestrial datacenter operating cost. In a dawn-dusk orbit a panel sees the sun continuously, so each installed watt produces several times the energy of a ground panel, which offsets a much higher price per watt.
Key takeaways
- 1
Space solar costs €200–350/W against €1–2/W on the ground, but runs at about 95–100% capacity factor versus 20%.
- 2
At €250/W, a 1 kW array produces about 115,000 kWh over 15 years. That is about €2.2/kWh of generation capital; the study states €0.108/kWh, which its own figures do not support.
- 3
Arrays degrade 2–3% a year, ending at roughly 70–75% of initial output after 15 years.
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