How Much Copper is Needed to Move Electricity 100 Meters?

How much copper does it take to move electric power 100 meters?

Extension cords take 4 to 10 kg of copper to move electricity 100 meters. Our 3rd generation wireless system used less than ½ of a kilogram! The photo below shows the system in operation illuminating a light bar.

This is possible because a wired connection requires a continuous strand of copper from end to end to maintain a connection. The mass adds up fast for long distances. Our 3rd generation wireless power transfer system does the same thing using a conductor thinner than a human hair. This thin film receives incoming RF energy and converts it into useful electricity. Today, the extension cord carries more power and is more efficient, but development will dramatically close the gap.

What works in a lab works even better at larger scales. At the largest scale, a #space based #solar power satellite (#sbsp) can move utility scale power using fewer critical resources than transmission lines. Typical transmission lines required about 12 tons of copper (or aluminum) per km [1]. A solar power satellite can both generate and transmit power using less critical minerals than 100km of transmission lines. This is another compelling reason why space based solar power (#SBSP) can become the most resource efficient way to power the world.

References
[1] . Deetman, H.S. de Boer, et. al., “Projected material requirements for the global electricity infrastructure – generation, transmission and storage”, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Volume 164, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105200. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344920305176