The World Economic Forum Global Agenda on Emerging Technologies has listed wireless power as one of the "top 10 emerging technologies for 2012." It is listed as number seven and as having the greatest potential to provide solutions to global challenges. Their specific description of wireless power is:

"Society is deeply reliant on electrically powered devices. Yet, a significant limitation in their continued development and utility is the need to be attached to the electricity grid by wire – either permanently or through frequent battery recharging. Emerging approaches to wireless power transmission will free electrical devices from having to be physically plugged in, and are poised to have as significant an impact on personal electronics as Wi-Fi had on Internet use."

This "emerging technology" warrants a closer look.

Truths About the Technology

Nicola Tesla pioneered work on power transfer using electromagnetic induction in the 1890s. However, within the past year a number of events have indicated significant interest in wireless power as a commercial technology. These events are based on studies that have shown that consumers have a desire to simplify powering and charging experiences and want to add a new level of convenience to everyday life. About 50 percent of consumers would be willing to wait two years to purchase a device if they could have the charging technology built into the device. This has led many companies to develop products to address the perceived market.

Wireless power is simply a technology that provides a new way to deliver electricity from sources that have inherent greenhouse gas impacts.  However, secondary effects are significantly environmentally friendly.  The reduction in the number of cords, adapters and wall outlets will reduce GHG used in manufacturing and reduce landfill waste. Further, wireless charging is seen as a significant enabler for the adoption of electric vehicles with the attendant reduction in GHG emission.

Wirelessly Powered Commercial Applications

The recent Pike Research report on wireless power noted that it is now possible to bridge the gap of energy supply and demand by provident integrated solutions in mobile devices that draw their power needs from a widely dispersed infrastructure of wireless power locations. They note commercial applications in a number of sectors.  The obvious immediate application is remote wireless charging for mobile computing and communications devices e.g. smartphones, tablets, netbooks, e-readers, and laptops. However, many other applications can be considered such as remote controls, portable lighting, kitchen appliances, cameras, and hearing aids. In addition, there are many industrial applications such as cordless power tools. As wireless power becomes more widespread there will be many more applications using the technology.

Wireless Charging of Electric Vehicles:

Of particular interest is wireless charging of electric vehicle batteries. In the simplest form wireless charging consists of a transmitter pad installed on the floor in a garage or in a parking space in a place of employment and a receiver in an electrical vehicle. There are several technologies that can be used to remotely charge the battery.  The vehicle is parked over the pad and the charging takes place automatically. This is attractive to consumers who don't have to do anything other than park the car over the transmitter pad.

Several vendors have developed wireless charging systems. This activity has sparked a need to develop necessary standards. The American National Standards Institute Electrical Vehicles Standards Panel has identified the lack of standards in this area as a critical gap. SAE and IEEE are currently working on standards and expect to complete important standards in the near term. ANSI identified SAE J2954 on wireless charging design and UL 2750 on wireless charging safety as necessary. J2954 is essential to insure interoperability between the transmitter and the receiver when they are manufactured by different suppliers.

In April, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a $4 million program to develop wireless chargers for electric vehicles. It is believed that wireless charging will significantly accelerate the adoption of EVs. It will make it more convenient to charge, reduce the total energy requirements, enable lighter and smaller battery packs, and lead to lighter vehicles, higher efficiency and longer electric ranges.

The "Holy Grail" of wireless charging is the ability to charge your car while cruising down the highway. This would require embedding the transmitter system in the roadway, obviously a very costly process. However, Bloomberg News has reported that embedding charging mats in public roads is being tested in London.

A Wireless Smart Grid?

Some visionaries see the potential for a wireless smart grid. If significant long-distance power transfer becomes possible the potential for GHG reduction is significant. It would eliminate the need for copper-wire transmission grids. It could transfer power from remote renewable generation sources such as wind farms and solar array fields. It could enable the collection and utilization of micro-power from ambient sources-a technique known as power harvesting. It could replace carbon intensive electricity sources such as diesel generators.

On January 10, 2012 the IEEE Standards Association announced the formation of a community of global industry leaders to form the Power Matters Alliance (PMA). The PMA is dedicated to remaking consumers' daily interaction with power as wireless, environmentally sound, and smart. A key aim of PMA is to foster Power 2.0, a suite of standards needed to provide advanced wireless power to devices at home. It is called the Internet of electricity and is intended to do for electricity what the Internet has done for information by linking power and data. An indication of this relationship is that the Honorary Chair of PMA is Vint Cerf, vice president and chief Internet evangelist for Google. Cerf is widely known as one of the "Fathers of the Internet." 

On May 7, 2012 a press release indicated the formation of the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP). The mission is to promote global standardization of a wireless power transfer technology. It will focus on the spatial freedom for charging electrical devices in cars, on tabletops, and for multiple devices simultaneously.

A third organization that has been in existence longer is the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). The WPC was launched at the first Wireless Power Consortium Conference in Hong Kong in 2008. The Consortium notes that with many electronic devices requiring battery charging the tangle of wires and bulky chargers is a problem. The solution is to develop a universal wireless power charging standard that transmits power to a device in close proximity to the charging station.                                                                                 

Driving Consumer Demand

Recent technological advancements in wireless power and an elevating consumer demand for it are undoubtedly driving global innovation - spanning a wide variety of industries, from electric vehicles to mobile devices to power transmitters. This is great news for any and all economies needing a boost in a positive direction.  Soon we will need an innovator to figure out a way to positively make use of all our old power cords. 

About the Author
Russell Lefevre, Ph.D., is a Fellow of the IEEE and AAAS, chair of the IEEE Steering Committee on Electric Vehicles, and a recognized IEEE Smart Grid technical expert. He is a past president of IEEE-USA and the IEEE Aerospace and Electronics Systems Society.  In these and other roles at IEEE, he is helping the organization and the industry understand the opportunities and challenges EVs will bring to the Smart Grid. He has an appointment as an Adjunct Professor of Physics and Electrical Engineering at the University of North Dakota.