β˜€οΈ Engineer plans to make solar energy at night

β˜€οΈ Engineer plans to make solar energy at night

An energy company, run by a 26 year old engineer, wants to make sunlight a 24-hour phenomenon by incorporating mirrors in space to redirect sunlight to solar panels on Earth at night.

Linn Winge
Linn Winge

Share this story!

Ben Nowack, a 26 year old engineer who previously worked with SpaceX is now the CEO of an energy company that wants to make solar power accessible 24 hours of the day thanks to mirrors in space. Β 

This installation would be positioned on the International Space Station. The plan is to use large mirrors in order to reflect sunlight to Earth in the nighttime as well. Nowack had to rethink his original idea due to the resources that would be required and came up with this one instead. His current idea means that a large wave of particles or light can be narrowed into a single beam.

Nowack and his company still have some challenges to work through. Scientists have toyed with the idea of orbital solar reflectors since 1977 and scientists in both China and Glasgow are currently working on similar ideas.