news hardware Collecting solar energy from space and transmitting it wirelessly around the world: the ultimate solution to power shortages?
A New Zealand company is developing a large-scale solution to take harvested electricity into space and eventually distribute it around the world. How do you solve one of the biggest problems of our time?
Widespread lack of energy that is not reassuring
I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but we’re going through a strong one Energy shortages in France and in the world. The conflict in Ukraine is not in vain, as Russia is a major exporter of natural gas and has stopped trading with other countries.
A hard blow given the approaching winter and the situation in France is not there to help. Several nuclear power plants have reactors that were not born from the last rains that are undergoing routine maintenance, which slows power generation. And for lack of sufficient margin The government continues the advice to limit consumption and avoid freezing when November comes.
The usual renewable energy solutions do not yet make it possible to compensate for a shortage of this magnitude, but that could change with this crazy project run by this New Zealand company.
Collect solar energy in space
Solar energy is clearly part of future projects to replace fossil fuels that take thousands or even millions of years to replenish. The problem with gathering is that you have to find both space to expand solar panels, but also a solution to it the exposure time, which is obviously zero at night.
The solution is simple: Place solar panels in space via satellite. Thus, there is no space problem and they can revolve around the earth to be constantly in contact with the sun’s rays.
Emrod is a company working and engaged in development in partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and Airbus Antennas that are placed on earth and can receive the power coming from space. In the form of a wave range close to that of Wi-Fi, tests have been carried out over a distance of 200 meters, including a demonstration held at the end of September, and Emrod is improving day by day.
Emrod demonstration in Munich, Germany, September 27, 2022
It is a project that could reduce the burden on land-based energy resource production and is expected to arrive by 2040. But the New Zealand company wants to an even more ambitious goal.
Transmit electrical energy using a network of satellites
The satellites seem to be the focus of Emrod founder Greg Kushnir’s fixation. The best thing is that what he says sticks.
If it is possible to transmit electricity to earth via satellites in space, Why not use this technology to spread this energy around the world? More precisely it would bea network of satellites in low orbit (100 km altitude), with an energy loss of around 30 to 40% due to the journey to the 30 to 40 meter high antennas on the ground. A number that Emrod aims to improve to 15 or 20% by 2040-50.
Statements that are a bit vague but give hope. If the idea of installing the best solar panels in the vast Sahara desert realized, it would be possible to extract an astronomical amount of energy and transmit it all over the world via this satellite network.
