One of the main problems of solar power is that it is dependent on local weather condition.
On rainy and cloudy days we cannot harvest much energy. During winter, the shortened hours of daylight mean solar panels won’t be soaking up much
sunlight.To address these seasonal and weather variations Japan is working on a
groundbreaking system to collect solar energy directly from space.
The solar
stations would consist of geostationary satellites installed 36,000 km above the
Earth, which will transmit collected energy back down to the Earth in the form
of laser beams or microwaves.Hypothetically, a solar battery in orbit (36,000
kilometers above earth) could generate power which will be transmitted to earth
via microwave/laser, without relying on cables. JAXA (Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency)forestalls to hopefully eliminate the need for traditional
cable networks. This new technology can be a backbone energy source that will
simultaneously solve both environmental and energy issues on Earth. The
wireless transmission system which will transmit solar energy to Earth using
microwave or laser technology will facilitate by freeing energy generation from
the dependence on cables and wires.
Although
sending energy across tens of thousands of miles without losses and without
threatening any life on Earth seems to be a great challenge. 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, still“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".
Currently
JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) is conducting ground-based
experimentation,s to conclude the most effective way to transmit the energy
across large distances. In the experiments, 10 kilowatts of electricity was
effectively transmitted via a microwave unit. Power reception was confirmed at
a receiver located 500 meters away. LED lights on the receiver confirmed the
transmission. This symbols a new landmark in transmission distance and power
load. The test also confirmed the success of the advanced control system
technology to direct the microwave beam on target.
It’s worth
nothing that NASA is researching a similar system right now, and hopes to have a
prototype ready to send into space by 2025. But with practically the entire
agency is currently shut down and is facing a massive potential funding cuts,
it will be exciting to see which country is able to launch a satellite first.
Good work.nice article...keep it up.
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