China successfully tested a model for wireless transmission of solar energy from space to Earth

[The SC]

China has successfully tested a model for wireless transmission of solar energy from space to Earth via a model power station at Xidian University.

The Chinese model works by capturing sunlight from levels above the earth's surface, converting it into microwave radiation and then transmitting it through the air to a receiving station on the ground where it can be converted back into electricity.

The most promising technology for solar power from space seeks to overcome the biggest flaw in clean energy technology, which is the inability to operate in the dark, as the panels will be placed in an orbit through which the Earth's shadow can be avoided.

China isn't the only country looking at the technology, as researchers at the California Institute of Technology launched a space solar program after a $100 million grant in 2013.

Similarly, researchers in India, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France are studying these possibilities while Japan is particularly ahead in this area, Xidian University reported.