Electrical EngineeringEnergy HarvestingSolar VariabilityEnergy ProblemsSolar Terrestrial EnvironmentEnergy EfficiencyEngineeringDc ElectricityIn-space Electric PowerSpace EnvironmentSpace ArchitectureSpace ResearchSpace ClimatePhotovoltaic Power StationTechnologySolar PanelsSpace WeatherOff-the-grid
Imagine looking out over Tokyo Bay from high above and seeing a man-made island in the harbor, 3 kilometers long. A massive net is stretched over the island and studded with 5 billion tiny rectifying antennas, which convert microwave energy into DC electricity. Also on the island is a substation that sends that electricity coursing through a submarine cable to Tokyo, to help keep the factories of the Keihin industrial zone humming and the neon lights of Shibuya shining bright. · But you can't even see the most interesting part. Several giant solar collectors in geosynchronous orbit are beaming microwaves down to the island from 36 000 km above Earth. The paper discusses Japan's plan for solar panels in orbit that could help solve Earth's energy problems.