Low-cost balloon solar design is highly efficient

Researching for this article, I’ve come across some great eco-friendly products, but never one like this. Can you imagine getting electrical energy from balloons? This is what Cool Earth of Livermore, California did when they designed the next generation of solar collectors. The basic concept has not changed; convert sunlight into electrical energy using solar cells; But the packaging has changed, and this is where the balloon design is unique.

One side of the balloon is made of reflective silver Mylar plastic. With the other half it is transparent to let in sunlight. The silver material is parabolic shaped to focus sunlight at a single point. That point is the bundle of solar cells that is placed on an arm at the precise point of maximum concentration of light.

The globe has a simple circular metal frame that is used to hold the Mylar in proper shape. An arm extends from the ring to the upper center of the orb. This contains the solar cells that produce electricity. The cells are cooled with water to dissipate the heat concentrated in the solar cells.

The balloon design will focus sunlight 300-400 times better than traditional roof-mounted solar panels. By design, this reduces the cost of each balloon and greatly increases the electrical output per cubic inch of solar cell material. This means that the cost of electricity produced will be on par with today’s peak natural gas power plants.

When in operation, the balloon will produce approximately 1 kW of power. With an average house consuming around 3.5 kw, only 20 square feet would be required. But sadly, the company is only looking to produce this design for local utilities and large companies.

Some of the most overwhelming aspects of any of the green products that I have reviewed is the cost. When researching renewable solar energy, it is surprising how simple this design is and how much cost reduction has been applied. If this product is mass produced, the cost per watt will drop significantly and perhaps to a level where its cost is on par with coal-producing power plants.