Mitsubishi – Transmitting Energy Wirelessly
Mitsubishi, the Japanese engineering giant has been successful in transmitting energy wirelessly and this success marks a small step for solar energy in space and probably a giant step for clean energy. What seemed like a science fiction would now be a reality after Japanese scientists pull off an engineering feat of cosmic proportions with the capabilities of making even the most modern solar parks seem like relics from the Stone Age. It was recently revealed that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries – MHI had wireless powered LED lights by transmitting a ten kilowatt microwave via the air to a receiver some five hundred meters away. To revolutionize the energy supplies of the world is great with changes in the climate making several countries to seek options on conventional energy and the Tokyo based company is not the first to transmit energy without cables. Prior to Mitsubishi’s announcement, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency had stated that it had successfully sent 1.8 kilowatts 55 meters in the air. However MHI does not seem to be the first to have transmitted such a huge amount sufficient to run a set of conventional appliances across such a long distance. Mitsubishi had made a statement that they believed they demonstrated the possibility of commercializing wireless power transmission through their experiment.
Solar Cell Covered Satellites in Orbit
The Japanese engineering giant comments that they plan to send solar cell covered satellites into orbit, some 36,000 kilometres above the surface of the Earth and suspended in space, the cosmic power generation plants would be converting the harnessed energy into microwaves and sent it down to the rectenna which is a special antenna with the capabilities of converting microwave energy into electricity, that would be the receiving station on the ground. This development marks a significant if not a small step towards a day tapping in the biggest source of clean and sustainable energy in the solar system, the sun which is not restricted by the weather or the time of the day. Mitsubishi has its focus of commercializing its Space Solar Power System – SSPS by the year 2030. In its 2011 report, MHI had estimated that this would generate the same electricity output as a 400 megawatt thermal plant or sufficient to serve over 150,000 homes during peak hour as the same publicly supplied power as per their calculations.
Easy to Beam Electricity to Far Off Islands
The technology would be making it easy to beam electricity to far off islands as well as other difficult areas which are currently cut off from the conventional grid or even transmit offshore wind power inland. Wireless power can also be used to recharge electric cars on an even smaller scale though with an equally revolutionizing potential, according to an industry analyst, that has been slow to take off due to infrastructure which does not support charging stations. For several years, Japan had its sight on space solar power and in 2012, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry assigned Japan Space Systems with overseeing development with Japan being the undisputed leader in the field. The US space agency, NASA has discovered the concept as being part of its Space Solar Power Exploratory Research and Technology program – SERT which was launched in 1999.
