More than 120 years ago, Nikolai Tesla, the great electrical pioneer, promulgated the idea of wireless energy transmission. Tesla went as far as building a vast transmission tower in Shoreham, on New York’s Long Island. Although Tesla never realized his dream, his ideas have not been forgotten. Scientists and engineers still dream of wireless energy transmission, but on a grander scale than even the visionary Tesla had considered. Now, wireless power is reaching for the stars. Earlier this year, Scientists at CalTech launched the Microwave Array for Power-transfer Low-orbit Experiment (MAPLE) into orbit. MAPLE has already proven the ability to broadcast power from space as one of three pivotal technologies being tested by the Space Solar Power Demonstrator. The idea behind the project is to launch orbiting solar panels that would be permanently in sunlight and used to power terrestrial demand.
Beaming space-based solar power is also on the radar of New Zealand-based EMROD, which is developing its own microwave long-range wireless power transfer technology. They also plan to create a Worldwide Energy Matrix (WEM) power transmission system to connect renewable generation with consumers worldwide. Last year, EMROD began work on a field demonstration in Taranaki in partnership with energy distribution company Powerco before the project was postponed and testing moved to Europe. Meanwhile, the US military technology agency DARPA is working on wireless power beaming with its Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) program, which aims to design and demonstrate airborne optical energy relays to power military forward bases and other infrastructure.
If this all sounds rather high-tech and futuristic, it’s worth noting that the same technology already underpins the wireless networks that we are all very familiar with. And, while wireless transmission won’t entirely replace conducting cables any time soon, with their commercial development edging closer, they will almost certainly have a role to play. High-value applications or in areas where essential grid reinforcements are needed but conventional network infrastructure is too difficult or too time-consuming to develop are obvious examples suited to a wireless solution. There’s no doubt Tesla was far ahead of his time, but a century later, we’ve caught up, and his futuristic dreams are finally becoming reality.