Wireless Electricity: The Spark to Empower Billions
A guide to solving our world’s electricity distribution problem.
It is an understatement to say humans LOVE electricity. However, 1.2 billion people worldwide have limited or NO access to electricity. That’s not to say there isn’t enough electricity to go around, there is simply an inability to distribute the electricity supply to remote locations.
Here’s the problem: 87 percent of energy-poor individuals (people who lack modern energy systems) live in rural regions. In many locations, it is simply not viable to build extensive electricity infrastructure such as wires and towers to reach only a few hundred people at a time. However, access to electricity is a key component in creating self-sustainable and flourishing societies. Electricity can lead to increased productivity, such as being able to work at night by keeping lights on, which improves overall output. This is vital for economic improvements as well as an increased quality of life.
So how can electricity be distributed without normal infrastructure?
Wireless electricity is the transfer of electricity through magnetic fields from one device to another without the need for wires or cables. This is key, because it eliminates a massive upfront cost of regular electric distribution. First contemplated by Nikola Tesla over a century ago, wireless electricity has the potential to revolutionize the distribution problem facing billions.
But wait, how does this ‘magic’ technology work?
There are two major types of wireless energy transmission, inductive transfer (IT) and radio frequency transfer (RF). IT deals with short range electrical transfer, where one device creates a magnetic field that manipulates the electrons of the receiving device. This is the technology used to power wirelessly-charged devices like phones and AirPods. Unfortunately, the produced magnetic field is only powerful up to a few centimetres. Even when the technology is optimized by repeating the magnetic field with other coils, the maximum range is about the length of a room. Therefore, this does not help send electricity across long distances.
RF on the other hand uses low power radio waves to transmit electricity across long distances. Similar to how a radio works, RF sends energy from one antenna to another. This process can only transport small amounts of electricity, but may be the difference between a community having access to electricity or not.
The only physical infrastructure required are a transmitting antenna capable of outputting radio waves, and a receiving antenna that can receive the energy. Then, a simple circuit converts the waves into D/C current and conditions it to usable electricity. In its most basic form, the transmission tower in a centralized location is able to transmit energy in all directions dozens of kilometres away, and does not need to be specifically targeted to a receiver. This means that electricity distributed by wires only needs to be sent to one central location rather than each individual settlement.
However, this technology is far from perfect…
Current RF technology is limited to very low output levels for receivers to use. It’s not that the amount of energy can not be increased, but as the energy increases, the wavelength gets shorter and the intensity increases. This would be like being in a microwave oven, which is certainly not ideal. As a result, low energy outputs are a necessary limitation. Therefore, RF is useful for giving access to limited amounts of electricity, but not the copious amounts typically used in areas with electricity grids.
What about solar? Is that not a viable source of electricity?
Solar and wind energy are great. They are very efficient in certain situations, but to state the obvious, wind energy does not work on calm days and solar does not work in cloudy or nighttime sitions. RF can work with and complement these other technologies along with energy storage to increase electricity accessibility. What is particularly great about RF is that there will always be an electrical supply while the central antenna is working. The upfront costs for consumers can be lower for RF than solar or wind, creating a stepping stone to increased amounts of electricity.
The capabilities of RF to us seem tiny, but to someone who has never been exposed to the benefits of electricity, it will be life changing.
Here’s why this all matters:
Electricity is able to equip individuals, communities and entire nations with the ability to develop and grow. When countries develop, their economies become stronger, and quality of life improves within those nations. With access to electricity, the remaining 16% of the global population who are without it, will live better lives, and will become increasingly self sustaining as time progresses. These individuals will not just have to focus on surviving, but will be able to thrive and better the world as a whole.
Key Takeaways:
- There are over 1.2 billion people with limited or no access to electricity
- Radio frequency transfer (RF) transmits low amounts of wireless electricity dozen of kilometres away
- Wireless electricity technologies do not require extensive infrastructure
- RF is the key to making a cost effective first step to providing rural areas with access to electricity
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