This may sound ridiculous first time you hear it, but Japan is thinking about solar power from panels located in space to mother earth, or to be more exact, the nation of Nippon itself. According to the Nikkei (one of Japan’s biggest newspapers), the government plans to ask local technology companies to participate in the endeavor as early as next month.

The project is aimed at finding ways on how to convert solar energy into microwaves first before converting them back into energy on the surface. This would make it possible to generate solar power regardless of the weather on earth.

A satellite is already scheduled to be launched in 2015 in order to collect initial project-related data. The Japanese government hopes the space solar energy system to be in place and ready by 2030.

Via Nikkei [registration required, paid subscription]