Space Energy Is Becoming Infrastructure, And Yesterday We Took a Step Toward Leading It

Ronen Lago

Yesterday, Arbell Energy won the SpaceIL Innovation Competition, recognizing our quantum-dot solar platform as a breakthrough candidate for powering next-generation space missions.

Because the fundamental constraint on the space economy isn’t rockets or computers anymore.

It’s energy.

As AI workloads, satellite constellations, and orbital data centers grow, Earth-based power becomes more inefficient, limited by atmospheric losses, intermittency, and land constraints. Continuous, high-density energy must increasingly be produced in space.

But today’s space solar relies on rigid silicon: approximately 30% efficiency, heavy glass modules, and poor launch economics.

Every extra kilogram to orbit costs thousands of dollars. Mass is the enemy.

Arbell is taking a different path, a materials reset.

Our quantum-dot thin films have active layers about 30 nm thick, printed on flexible substrates, which significantly reduces weight by a factor of 10 and aims for more than 5–10 times higher specific power (W/kg) than traditional space PV. Physically, our design uses Multi-Exciton Generation (MEG), approaching a theoretical efficiency near 90%, far exceeding silicon’s limits.

The implications are simple and economic:

• More watts per kilogram → fewer launches

• Lower launch cost per watt → viable large-scale orbital power

• Roll-to-roll printing → semiconductor-like scalability without semiconductor CAPEX

This isn’t a better panel. It’s a new energy platform purpose-built for space.

As orbital infrastructure becomes foundational to communications, defense, and AI compute, the winners won’t be incremental solar players; they’ll be companies that redefine the materials stack.

That’s the race Arbell is running.