United States.
A California company designed a solar balloon system that generates 300 to 400 times more electrical power from a cell without a concentrator.
The balloons can concentrate and capture solar energy without the need to invest in expensive infrastructure or high amounts of silicon, and protect the surface of mirrors and the receiver from rainfall and withstand winds of about 100 miles per hour.
Inflatable collectors capture light and concentrate it in photovoltaic cells, often increasing the energy that impacts the cells. A series of hubs are suspended on a stand and control the wires that extend between the poles. As the concentrators are suspended, vast areas of land can be used for solar energy production, with limited environmental impact.
Each balloon, two meters in diameter, can generate 500 watts of electricity and with these low maintenance and replacement costs, the system will significantly reduce solar energy costs to levels where it would compete directly with fossil energy sources.
Source: diarioecologia.
