(Yicai) June 11 -- China’s photovoltaic industry leaders are expanding into space-based solar power, forming alliances and investing in perovskite technology, which could slash costs and enable scalable space energy systems, potentially transforming both the space and energy sectors.

Chinese PV firms, such as Trina Solar and Golden Concord Holdings, better known globally as GCL Group, last week launched the Space Energy Development Alliance along with aerospace firms and research institutes to spearhead innovation in next-generation PV uses. The group, which supports China's broader, long-term ambitions for space-based solar power, was unveiled at this year’s SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Conference & Exhibition.

Kunshan GCL Optoelectronic Material, which is pioneering perovskite solar cell technology, and software developer Ziwei Network Technology also announced at the SNEC trade show in Shanghai that they plan to launch a self-developed "computing satellite" by the end of this year.

The satellite will be equipped with GCL's perovskite solar arrays, a solid-state energy storage system, and domestically produced graphics processing units, Kunshan-based GCL said. It will operate in Earth’s orbit for one year to validate a complete closed-loop system covering power generation, energy storage, and power consumption.

Space-based solar power refers to electricity generated using solar cells deployed on satellites, space stations, and even future off-planet power stations. These systems could provide energy for spacecraft and even transmit it back to Earth. Compared with ground-based PV power, space-based solar power benefits from continuous sunlight exposure and higher energy density.

Perovskite solar cells made from synthetic crystal structures are lighter, more energy efficient, and less costly than crystalline silicon PV cells. They are widely seen as an important technological direction for energy production in space.

Industry analysts estimate that space-based solar power could theoretically deliver eight to 15 times the energy output of ground-based systems, and Central China Securities projects the global market for space solar may reach CNY56.9 billion (USD8.3 billion) this year. With large-scale deployment of low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations, the market is expected to grow nearly 20-fold over the next decade, reaching about CNY1.1 trillion (USD162.3 billion) by 2035.

The aerospace sector continues to rely mainly on gallium arsenide (GaAs) III-V compound solar cells. These cells offer high conversion efficiency and strong resilience in extreme space conditions, making them the dominant choice for satellite solar arrays. However, as commercial space activities scale up, their high cost is emerging as a significant limitation.

A bare gallium arsenide space battery costs around CNY300 (USD44) per watt, Tian Qingyong, general manager of GCL Optoelectronics, said at the SNEC. A complete solar array system exceeds CNY500 per watt, translating to roughly CNY100,000 (USD14,750) per square meter.

Perovskite cells present several key advantages, according to Huajin Securities. They can reduce costs to roughly one-10th of traditional technologies, halve weight, can be designed in flexible formats, making them particularly attractive for next-gen applications.

For terrestrial use, perovskite cells cost about CNY0.50 (7 US cents) per watt to produce, Tian said. The main cost driver for space-grade perovskite cells is radiation-resistant encapsulation glass, he pointed out, adding that if the intrinsic radiation tolerance of the materials can be improved, then much upside remains on further cost reductions.

From a broader industry perspective, perovskite technology is progressing rapidly. On June 3, GCL announced that the certified conversion efficiency of its 2,042-square-centimeter perovskite-silicon tandem module had reached 30.2 percent, surpassing 30 percent for the first time. In January, SolaEon Technology’s single-junction perovskite solar cell achieved a conversion efficiency of 27.8 percent, setting a new global record for this category.

Editor: Kim Taylor