Startup wants to use autonomous drone swarms to clear clouds and boost solar farm output

A Cambridge-based startup called Meteoric Technologies Inc. is developing a fleet of autonomous drones that could potentially increase solar farm efficiency by clearing clouds, according to a recent announcement. The drones, which would operate at low- and mid-altitude clouds, would alter the water droplets within them, reducing their reflectivity and allowing more sunlight to reach the solar panels below.

CEO Mete Karslioglu claims that this could boost annual energy generation from existing assets by 10-30% in major US grid regions, potentially saving $5,000-28,000 per megawatt without the need for any new infrastructure.

The company's ultimate goal appears to be reducing the intensity of severe storms and hurricanes. However, the company's current cloud-dispersal methods are still in a prototype stage, having only managed to dissipate an artificial cloud by 13% in lab tests. These claims have been met with skepticism, as there is no concrete evidence to support the effectiveness of the technology.

Conventional methods of cloud dispersal, such as using dry ice or hygroscopic salts, are generally more expensive and impractical. Despite these concerns, Meteoric argues that its electric drones would be a cost-effective alternative, costing only $30 to $60 per hour, compared to $2,000 per hour for other aircraft-based operations.