Science Fiction or Reality? Japan Sets Goals for Space-Based Solar Power
Japan recently made serious strides toward leading exploration and implementation of space-based solar power. While many countries (US excluded) have set goals for domestic renewable energy production, Japan has literally set loftier goals, announcing ambitions to collect solar power in space by 2030.
Photo Credit: Greenlaunches
That solar power would be harvested as part of Japan’s Space Solar Power System (SSPS), in which solar arrays several square miles in size would hover in a geosynchronous orbit above Japan and beam collected solar energy down to receivers on earth via lasers or microwave radiation. Intense, right?
Adding a notable level of seriousness to its plan, Japan has selected a consortium of industry giants to make their science-fiction plan a reality. These include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Electric, NEC, Fujitsu and Sharp, led by researchers at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
JAXA researchers’ primary goal is a one-gigawatt SSPS that would produce home solar power at eight yen per kilowatt-hour, six times cheaper than the current cost of electricity in Japan. Solar power in space has key advantages that could contribute to such low costs. Solar energy in space is much more concentrated than here on Earth and obstacles such as clouds and even nightfall can be mitigated.
Obviously, there are huge obstacles to overcome in achieving such a stellar goal. Not least of which are cost, transporting the components to space, accurately and safely beaming the solar power to earth, as well as security issues. Yet Japan has been working on the project for 11 years already and apparently has reached a level of confidence in which they’re willing to publicly set goals and hire high-tech companies to participate.
Initial steps include a satellite put into orbit to test transmission by microwave, a pilot project consisting of a 10-megawatt (MW) solar array and a 250-MW prototype. They hope to have the 10-MW satellite launched around 2020.
Source: Yahoo News
Photo Credit: Ecoseed
Posted on November 10th in Solar News by Dan.
November 11th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Sounds weird. It actually sounds like some laser program that converts solar energy into a beam of destructive light. But any idea in the field of protecting the planet’s health should be welcomed and appreciated- the critiscm and skepticsm will occur anytime anyway. Kudos Japan!
November 11th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
I’m impressed by Japan’s ambition and earnestness in embracing renewable energy. I wish the US had a similar attitude. (At the same time, I do wonder whether the millions wouldn’t be better spent on a more sure-fire solar solution?)
Anyway, I’d take their solution over geo-engineering any day.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
According to government and scientific studies, the notion that the lasers or microwaves used to beam down the energy are dangerous is unfounded. From what I’ve heard there is a problem with accuracy however that must be solved. It’s really a fascinating idea, and one that gets quite a bit of at least verbal support here in the U.S. Obama’s transition team recommended SBSP in a white paper and PG&E in California has already signed a deal to buy some space solar power (before any such system is even fully designed!) Very interesting…It looks more and more like it will be solar power that (literally?) carries us into the Final Frontier.