Outdated power grids may soon be replaced by power laser emitters

Wireless power transmission is necessary to establish communication networks anywhere. A team of engineers has succeeded in transmitting electrical power using high-intensity laser beams instead of wires. According to its inventors, the technology – called ‘optical beaming’ in English – will be able to transmit electricity over several kilometers in a “totally safe” way.

At the forefront of this technology is the American company PowerLight Technologies, which plans to power 5G towers with this system.

How does it work

The PowerLight system consists of a transmitter and a receiver. The emitter takes electrical power from the grid and transforms it into a high-powered laser beam that fires constantly to transmit kilowatts of power over long distances.

This laser beam travels through the air until it reaches its destination, an array of special photovoltaic receivers that convert the laser into electrical energy to power the 5G tower. The laser beam is so powerful that it can cause serious damage to organic tissue, but the optical beaming technology is “totally safe.” The system has a second array of low-intensity beams surrounding the laser beam that PowerLight calls a “safety ring.” This ring is capable of detecting any contact — a bird, for example — to turn off the laser beam immediately.

This way of transporting electrical energy through laser emitters can be used for both static and moving objects without relying on cable connections. It can power vehicles and lighting systems.

This technology is still in experimentation, but in a short time it will be viable and will be able to replace the high-voltage power lines that feed cities, serving perfectly to transport energy from the most distant wind and solar farms on the planet.

It will even be possible to collect solar energy in satellite form and transmit it to Earth through laser pulses. In addition, the same satellites may be supplied with energy by means of laser beams. And the wireless system will serve to reduce energy transport costs in the next colonies on the Moon and on Mars.

Wired technology?: Obsolete, the future catches up with us and it’s called laser.