Horizon Magazine · Space

European Project Aims to Harvest Wasted Energy for Satellites

A European research initiative, POWERSAT, is developing technologies to capture and utilize energy currently lost by satellites, potentially increasing their power supply and lifespan.

Satellites expend energy through stray radio waves and sunlight that conventional solar panels cannot capture. The POWERSAT project is creating small devices to harvest this wasted energy.

The project explores capturing radio wave 'spillover' using rectennas and harvesting infrared sunlight missed by standard solar panels. These rectennas need miniaturization and robustness for space.

The goal is to boost a satellite's power by up to 10%, enabling longer missions or powering additional instruments. This could also support low-power sensors or enable backscattering communication.

For sunlight, researchers are developing tiny antennas aiming for higher efficiencies (up to 80%) than typical solar panels (around 30%). These supplement existing panels, utilizing a broader spectrum.

The technology faces fabrication challenges. Researchers aim to demonstrate solar-energy harvesting from microwaves by late 2026 and test microwave harvesting across different spectrum parts.

Commercialization is estimated to take up to 10 years due to rigorous space hardware testing. The research runs until the end of 2027, focusing on lab demonstrations.

This effort aligns with Europe's goals for more resilient and sustainable space activities, potentially making satellite systems more efficient and extending their useful lives.

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