Orbiting solar reflectors: a pathway to extended space-based solar power availability and enhanced grid stability

The transition to clean energy resources such as solar energy is critical for the battle against climate change and to achiev e net zero emission goals. However, one of the challenges solar energy faces is its dependence on daylight hours only for energy production. This challenge restricts the availability of solar energy after daylight hours which leads to reliance on fossil fuel generators during peak demand periods, thus, increasing CO2 emissions. To overcome this challenge, orbiting solar reflectors (OSRs) were proposed as a future technology which can reflect sunlight to terrestrial solar power farms (SPF) from space during dawn and dusk. This paper aims to explore the integration of OSRs into SPFs to extend the availability of energy after hours of sunlight and reduce carbon emissions by reducing dependency on fossil fuel generators. Furthermore, the paper discusses how OSRs can contribute to the stability of the voltage of the power grid. The results show that the OSR could significantly boost the energy output of a SPF during these periods, thereby extending the availability of solar energy and decreasing the relian ce on fossil fuel generators. This technology has the potential to reduce carbon emissions, which contributes to global efforts to reduce climate change. Furthermore, the findings illustrate how OSRs can help maintain voltage stability in the power grid by providing more energy during the peak demand period.