$21 Billion Solar Power Station in Space — Planned by Japan

September 2nd, 2009 by Zachary Shahan

Japan is planning to build a solar power station in space within the next 30 years. It is expected to cost $21 billion. How will they do it?

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Why do it?

Solar energy is said to be 10 times greater at the Earth’s edge and existing satellite systems already contain much of the technology needed to send this energy back to Earth. The Japanese government is expecting to be able to send power to 294,000 Tokyo homes by 2030. As fossil fuels are disappearing, this may be a renewable energy source of the future!

What will the solar power station look like?

The solar power station is supposed to be 4 square kilometers in size. It is to be a satellite covered with solar panels.

How will it send energy to Japan?

The solar panels on this power station would send the energy back to Japan via microwaves.

The leader of this project is the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Research participants include 16 businesses (including “thin-film photovoltaic module producer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, its solar cell and satellite-making sister company Mitsubishi Electric Corp, and Tokyo-based IHI Corp, which produces space development-related equipment.“) They are researching how to complete this project by the 2030s. There are estimates that costs still need to be cut by 100 times the current estimates, but they think it is very possible.

Could solar panels orbiting the Earth be the next big source of renewable energy?

Is this safe?

Japan is very hopefull.

We’ll see.

via businessGreen.com

Image Credit: Lynn (Gracie’s mom) – I’m here & there via flickr under a Creative Commons license

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Tags: Japan, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Mitsubishi, Space, sun, tokyo

About the Author

Zachary Shahan spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as the director/chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of Solar Love, EV Obsession, Planetsave, or Bikocity. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media. You can connect with Zach on any popular social networking site you like. Links to all of his main social media profiles are on ZacharyShahan.com.

DS

Interesting article (and I recognize it is from 2 yrs ago), but for some perspective, here is a little more information.

Overall, the surface of Earth receives about 89,000 terawatts, while the worldwide average power consumption rate was 15 terawatts in 2008. We receive approximately 5,933 times more energy from the sun at Earth’s surface than we currently consume globally.
(source : the sources cited at the bottom of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_energy_consumption)

What would $21 billion worth of solar panel installations on the roofs of Japanese factories, buildings, and houses output ? I can’t imagine there would be need for space based power generation after that.
- http://cleantechnica.com/ Zachary Shahan
  
  Thanks.
Cyril S.

it would not work work
Cyril S.

it would not work work
zuggernaut

The primary concern regarding power-beaming concentrated microwaves from a space solar power satellite are the biohazards accompanying high-intensity microwaves, as explained in the book Sunstroke by David Kagan. I read Sunstroke and was impressed that David Kagan predicted that a space-based solar power station would be built and deployed by not only the US, but also by other nations, under the pretense of being a “purely alternative energy source to supply unlimited power to major cities”. Kagan spells out quite clearly that such space solar power stations employing high-intensity microwave beams could also be used as a devastating multi-pronged weapon: it can supply electricity to the military, be used to fry enemy ground troops, aircraft, ocean-going vessels, and also be used to disrupt enemy communications as well as destroy their agricultural capabilities. And the US EPA agrees.
zuggernaut

The primary concern regarding power-beaming concentrated microwaves from a space solar power satellite are the biohazards accompanying high-intensity microwaves, as explained in the book Sunstroke by David Kagan. I read Sunstroke and was impressed that David Kagan predicted that a space-based solar power station would be built and deployed by not only the US, but also by other nations, under the pretense of being a “purely alternative energy source to supply unlimited power to major cities”. Kagan spells out quite clearly that such space solar power stations employing high-intensity microwave beams could also be used as a devastating multi-pronged weapon: it can supply electricity to the military, be used to fry enemy ground troops, aircraft, ocean-going vessels, and also be used to disrupt enemy communications as well as destroy their agricultural capabilities. And the US EPA agrees.
Beau

ummmmm……. okay, giant energy gathering solar panel orbiting the planet and beaming it back to earth…… can anyone say giant death ray? LOL
Beau

ummmmm……. okay, giant energy gathering solar panel orbiting the planet and beaming it back to earth…… can anyone say giant death ray? LOL
http://spacehabitat.blogspot.com/ Nicholas

Energy could be obtained from renewable sources much cheaper on Earth. Just think of all the sunny deserts we have. Not to mention wind and tidal power. Why not concentrate instead on developing space habitats and prepare for exodus? We shall prepare for a possible (and probable) future cataclysm, such as being hit by an asteroid. We shall also move human expansion into space to preserve Mother Earth as a museum for future generations; just as old downtowns in Europe are preserved and new development occurs in satellite communities.
http://spacehabitat.blogspot.com/ Nicholas

Energy could be obtained from renewable sources much cheaper on Earth. Just think of all the sunny deserts we have. Not to mention wind and tidal power. Why not concentrate instead on developing space habitats and prepare for exodus? We shall prepare for a possible (and probable) future cataclysm, such as being hit by an asteroid. We shall also move human expansion into space to preserve Mother Earth as a museum for future generations; just as old downtowns in Europe are preserved and new development occurs in satellite communities.
Cyril R.

21 billion for 1 GWe is 21 dollars per Watt. If there are no cost overruns, and if that includes all costs!

Space solar sure isn’t cheap. Why doesn’t that surprise me?

Hopefully they can get the cost down a LOT in the future. They need a cheap way to put things in orbit.
Cyril R.

21 billion for 1 GWe is 21 dollars per Watt. If there are no cost overruns, and if that includes all costs!

Space solar sure isn’t cheap. Why doesn’t that surprise me?

Hopefully they can get the cost down a LOT in the future. They need a cheap way to put things in orbit.
jay hanson

I remember this technology in sim city 2000

Ah yes, the Microwave power plants. Those were fun.

Except when they misfired and caused total destruction… wait, that was funny too
jay hanson

I remember this technology in sim city 2000

Ah yes, the Microwave power plants. Those were fun.

Except when they misfired and caused total destruction… wait, that was funny too
http://www.rentinaix.com Aix

Tiggles take you wise ass comments somewhere else. No Ben, like Charles said, a 2×2 satellite would be very small. I think a postage stamp would be an overstatement. It would be more like a very large star or two put together.
http://www.rentinaix.com Aix

Tiggles take you wise ass comments somewhere else. No Ben, like Charles said, a 2×2 satellite would be very small. I think a postage stamp would be an overstatement. It would be more like a very large star or two put together.
Charles Vismeg

At the height of the orbit the 2x2km object won’t look even as big as a postage stamp. No worry about shadow. Besides, light curves aroung objects.
Charles Vismeg

At the height of the orbit the 2x2km object won’t look even as big as a postage stamp. No worry about shadow. Besides, light curves aroung objects.
http://tinycomb.com David Heyerman

The $21 billion will be spent over the next 4 years on the technology itself, not the actual station or atleast that’s what I understood from other writeups. It’s definitely gonna cost more than $21 billion in total.
http://tinycomb.com David Heyerman

The $21 billion will be spent over the next 4 years on the technology itself, not the actual station or atleast that’s what I understood from other writeups. It’s definitely gonna cost more than $21 billion in total.
Tiggles

“Forgive me if this is a dumb question. But will a 4 sq km solar array in space create a large shadow somewhere on earth? If so, will that be a problem?”

Wow what an idiot.
Tiggles

“Forgive me if this is a dumb question. But will a 4 sq km solar array in space create a large shadow somewhere on earth? If so, will that be a problem?”

Wow what an idiot.
Ben

Forgive me if this is a dumb question. But will a 4 sq km solar array in space create a large shadow somewhere on earth? If so, will that be a problem?
Ben

Forgive me if this is a dumb question. But will a 4 sq km solar array in space create a large shadow somewhere on earth? If so, will that be a problem?