The idea behind the project is to use standard solar power plants at times not intended for them – dawn and dusk, when natural light is minimal. However, it is during these periods that energy consumption is at its highest, so adding it would be beneficial. The reflectors in orbit are configured to change the direction of the light while travelling over the Earth and “aim” at selected power plants without causing problems for everyone else.
The project requires the deployment in space of hexagonal reflectors made of aluminised kapton with a face length of 250m. They will have a combined area of 162,380 square metres and the spot of reflected light on the ground will reach an area of 10 square kilometres, but will only exist for 17 minutes per pass. This will help generate up to 36MW of energy per pass, helping to smooth out peaks in electricity consumption on the surface.
