Wireless electricity transmission a step closer

[windsock]

This is sounding like an interesting future option for remote communities currently in a situation where expense of grid connection is too high.

I would be interested to read how bad weather effects it though. Still, options would be increased in a few situations where grid connection is otherwise not viable or available to cost.

They mention a drone powered by this technology a few years back. Wireless mobile EV charging?

Electricity '''beamed''' to homes could do away with wire transmission cables | Stuff.co.nz (https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/green-business/122266326/electricity-beamed-to-homes-could-do-away-with-wire-transmission-cables)

[JDNSW]

This has been a dream for well over a century. There are several problems with any such system:-

1. Cost and losses involved in converting power on wires to electromagnetic radiation. This part of the problem is a lot closer to being solved than any time in the past, thanks to modern developments in high power solid state devices.

2. Losses due to "beam spread". No matter how much effort is put into antenna design, only a device similar to a maser can produce a sufficiently concentrated beam. And as far as I am aware, these devices are all hopelessly inefficient. Moving to a higher frequency makes the problem easier, but the higher the frequency, the greater the losses due to moisture, dust fog etc.

3. Any beam transmitting energy levels useful for power transmission is effectively a death ray, likely to cook any bird, bat, insect, aircraft, hang glider, drone, etc that enters the beam. It does not take much imagination to see leaves carried aloft in a high wind being ignited and starting new fires in conditions like we had last summer. This is the "killer" issue for this dream, even if technology makes it possible.

In summary - it may become feasible for some very special situations, but overall - I can't see it.