The Moon Could Get Solar Power as Early as 2035

Imagine a solar panel array that could have constant, uninhibited exposure to sunlight. No clouds, no night. Japan’s Shimizu Corporation knows how to do it: put a belt of solar panels all the way across the equator of the moon. That’s 6800 miles of continuous photovoltaic cells, with a constant half of them exposed to the sun’s light.

While exposed to the sun, the cells would convert light into electricity and store it in broadcast facilities for later transmission. As the moon rotates, those broadcast facilities will face the Earth during the lunar night. Using a combination of microwave and laser transmissions, the solar belt will beam that energy to terrestrial facilities and later distribution to local power grids. Although around since before the Fukushima disaster, Shimizu’s proposal has gained momentum since the dangers of nuclear power in urban areas became clear. In the past few years, many of Japan’s nuclear reactors have been shut down and no reactors are currently in commission (although some are to be operating again soon). The pressing question is how to supply power for a country of millions in dense urban areas?

While obviously much safer for many reasons, the solar belt would require immense planning and would be the largest construction project ever undertaken by mankind – and on the Moon, no less. For the most part, robots would do the work. They would harvest the Moon’s natural resources to construct most equipment and maintain the array. Over the course of many years, several robots would harvest materials, produce photovoltaic cells, and move in a zigzag pattern to install the entire belt. Building those robots, planning the array, and exporting elements like Hydrogen to the Moon for construction would take years. Shimizu estimates that actual lunar construction could begin in 2035.

This is our favorite hypothetical use of solar technology this month, but it’ll be awhile before we see the energy this could deliver (almost four times the total current energy production of the United States). For now, we’ll charge our EnergyBars and take personal portable solar power with us. At least until the Moon can pick up the slack.