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Solar panels could replace balloons
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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A team of French-Japanese specialists is working on the issue of using solar energy. Scientists have developed a unique solution that can overcome some of the limitations of traditional solar panels. It is known that solar energy has great potential, and in the future, sunlight can be used by utilities and in residential buildings.
Standard solar panels have several disadvantages, in particular, they can only be used in certain places, their efficiency decreases in cloudy weather, and the problem of energy production at night is quite acute. In addition, such panels are quite expensive and most people cannot afford to buy them, although the price of panels has decreased somewhat in recent years.
A French-Japanese team of scientists has developed an innovative solution – a balloon that will help improve the situation. The uniqueness of the new system is that energy can be generated both during the day and at night – the balloon combines the production of solar energy and hydrogen, which also acts as a source of energy storage during the dark hours.
The researchers note that the new system will increase the amount of electricity several times, since the balloons are located at an altitude of 6 km above the clouds, as a result of which solar radiation is received all day, regardless of the weather on the ground.
The main disadvantage of photovoltaic panels is that clouds can block the sun's rays, which immediately affects energy production. At 6 km altitude, there are practically no clouds, as the sky darkens, direct lighting increases, and the accumulation of solar energy increases efficiency, explained one of the specialists working on the project.
According to the team leader, who is also the head of the NextPV lab where the work is being done, using hydrogen has solved one of the problems – generating energy during the dark hours. Hydrogen is formed as a result of electrolysis of excess solar energy produced during the day. Energy is generated during the dark hours by recombining hydrogen and oxygen, with water being formed as a by-product.
Hydrogen could also be used to keep the balloons aloft without additional energy sources, which would also impact the efficiency of the new system. Solar balloons currently solve some of the problems of photovoltaic systems only on paper, but the NextPV lab intends to create a working prototype in the coming years. Once the prototype is created, developers may face a number of other issues, including the use of 6-kilometer tethers and cables that will connect the balloon to the ground, as well as the issue of price, since the balloons must have a competitive price with traditional solar panels, the cost of which continues to fall.
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