| The Japanese Space Agency, JAXA, is developing a method of harvesting solar energy from geostationary satellites sitting 36,000 km above the Earth, and transmitting it down to the planet's surface in the form of either laser beams or microwaves. |
Harvesting solar energy is limited to daylight hours, and is affected by weather conditions and the seasons of the year—when you do it from the ground. In space however, the limitations don't exist. For this reason, space-based solar power could provide a continuous supply of clean, renewable energy, regardless of the time of year or any inclement weather on Earth.
In an effort to increase the options for supplying their country with energy, the Japanese Space Agency, JAXA, is developing a method of harvesting solar energy from geostationary satellites sitting 36,000 km above the Earth, and transmitting it down to the planet's surface in the form of either laser beams or microwaves.
The Space Solar Power Systems project is a space-based solar power plant that generates energy by collecting sunlight in geostationary orbit. The energy is then transmitted to the ground, and converted into electricity and hydrogen for practical use. SSPS consists of a space-based power generation/transmission facility that gathers sunlight, converts it into microwaves or laser beams, and transmits those to the ground; and a power receiving facility on the ground.
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"There are many technological challenges to solve before SSPS can be implemented. However, in principle, we are getting close to the stage where it is feasible, and we have just moved from the study phase to the technology demonstration phase. Researchers have started preparation for the world's first demonstration of 1kW-class wireless power transmission technology, and are aiming for practical use in the 2030s," said Yasuyuki Fukumuro of JAXA.
Sending energy across tens of thousands of miles without huge losses and without endangering any life on Earth does present significant challenges that would need to be overcome in order to implement a space-based power system. The energy beam would need to travel 36,000 km and hit a receiving stations just 3 km in diameter on the surface of the planet, but Fukumuro, who is in charge of research planning for the Space Solar Power Systems project, believes "Japan currently has the most advanced technology to do this."
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SOURCE Treehugger
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