SPACE POWER

Beaming huge amounts of solar energy undiminished by earth’s atmosphere down as microwaves is an old but always tantalizing idea. NASA, Japan and European space agencies have looked at it periodically since the 1960s. (See SOLAR FROM CLOSER TO THE SOURCE) These are the most concrete plans NewEnergyNews has yet heard of. Pentagon report: "It is imperative that this work for `drilling up' vs. drilling down for energy security begins immediately…"

Apparently, science fiction is once again on its way to becoming science fact. But by the best guess of experts, don’t get rid of your house’s solar panels before 2030.

One small obstacle: Nobody knows exactly how safe beaming huge amounts of solar energy down would be. Maybe as safe as a microwave oven. Maybe not.

Interesting aside: If the idea works, the solar energy would require storage. Nobody has batteries big enough. The first idea floated? Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles with V2G capability. The rectenna sends the juice to the grid, the grid sends it to the cars and the cars hold it until the grid needs it back.

‘Drilling up’ into space for energy
Charles J. Hanley, December 23, 2007 (AP via Yahoo News)

WHO
The National Security Space Office (NSSO) of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD); Tommy Remengesau Jr., President, Palau; American entrepreneur Kevin Reed;

Artist's concept of an orbiting solar array. (click to enlarge)

WHAT
NSSO of DoD has outlined a plan for developing solar power beamed to earth from orbiting satellites. Reed proposed a privately financed trial to prove the technology and study its safety.

WHEN
- In September 2007, Reed proposed placing a rectifying antenna on Helen Island in Palau to receive solar energy from an orbiting satellite. Reed is aiming to have his trial project ready by 2012.
- NSSO’s 75-page study was issued for DoD in October 2007.

WHERE
- The Republic of Palua is an island nation, scattered islands in the Western Pacific between the Philippines and Micronesia.
- Uninhabited, Palau’s Helen Island is an ideal location for the rectenna.
- The test proposal would have one satellite in a 300-mile-high orbit.
- The ultimate DoD plan would put up huge arrays of geostationary satellites with receiving arrays at various earth locations.

WHY
- The technology is presently available but the cost of lifting enough equipment into orbit to provide a significant amount of solar energy is prohibitive.
- Reed’s U.S.-Swiss-German consortium will begin making the ultralight solar panels in the next 2 years and is developing financing (estimated at $800 million) for launch vehicles, satellites, transmission technology.
- The rectenna would be 260 feet in diameter and would receive 1 megawatt of solar energy from a Reed-Palau satellite that would pass once every 90 minutes and beam to the rectenna for 5 minutes.
- Ultimately, DoD would put up a perhaps 3 by 6 mile array of satellites and beam 5 megawatts of solar energy down continuously to an equally huge array of rectennas.

Artist's concept of the rectenna that would be on Palau. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Tommy Remengesau Jr., President, Palau: " We are keen on alternative energy…And if this is something that can benefit Palau, I'm sure we'd like to look at it."
- Mark Hopkins, senior vice president, National Space Society: "The climate change implications are pretty clear. You can get basically unlimited carbon-free power from this…You just have to find a way to make it cost-effective."
- Robert N. Schock, future energy expert, UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): "I wouldn't be surprised at the beginning of the next century to see significant power utilized on Earth from space — and maybe sooner."