SpaceX has done it again. Not content with building the world’s greatest space-based internet service, Starlink, and also making the world’s only superheavy lift rocket, Starship, they are now offering solar energy from space – Starpower.

Using Starship’s cavernous cargo bay and robotic space assembly, SpaceX has placed dozens of gigantic mirrors in medium Earth orbit. Rather than trying to harvest solar power in space with panels, and then transmit the power electromagnetically to the ground, Starpower simply focuses the intense sunlight available in space, and reflects it to earthly solar plants – at night!

The idea is as genius as it is audacious. But quite compelling. The best solar locations in the world have fewer than ten cloudy days in a year, but they never generate power at night. Starpower turns an asset that’s idle 65% of the time into a top performer. The return on investment is incredible, despite the hefty fees Starpower charges to ‘timeshare’ the Sun.

In fact, demand is so great, from California to Namibia to Mongolia, that you have to bid for the most popular hours to have your solar farm irradiated at night. Starpower’s online auction site makes it easy to keep track of your bids and successful trades, just like a stock market app.

“It’s the only fair way to sell the sun,” says Elon Musk, “and the rates fluctuate according to the weather, season, and your specific location. If you’re the only one with clear skies on your longitude, you get a bargain!”

At this stage it’s only feasible for utility-scale solar installations to benefit from Starpower, as the minimum beam is 4km across, and there’s no compensation for ‘spillage’ onto your neighbour’s property, so remote locations are best. And of course there are critics. Environmentalists say “it messes with nature,” while astronomers lament more clutter in the night sky.

But no-one’s complaining about having clean solar power – even at night!

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Futureworld recognizes that some of the most unlikely innovations occur at the intersect of industries – in this case space rockets and solar power. Our team of insights leaders and futurists constantly scans the horizon for hidden opportunities to create exponential growth plans for our clients. For more information on emerging energy technologies, feel free to contact Adam Parsons or Doug Vining.