PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2015
Technion graduate Dr. Joseph Cory is floating an intriguing idea: small lightweight balloons with a thin coating of photovoltaic cells.
The balloons are tethered to the ground via one line to send helium up and another to pass the gathered solar power down. One or two of these floating disks might meet a household’s complete electric needs, while larger buildings or municipal facilities could float numerous vertical cables with balloons stacked every few feet.
Cory and Technion aerospace engineering research partner Dr. Pini Gurfil of the Asher Space Research Institute (ASRI) also envision bringing much-needed power to impoverished regions far from power lines.
“They have no negative effect on the environment at all,” says Cory, a professional architect. Prototypes of various sizes are now being tested. Two models have been constructed – one in the city of Haifa and one in the desert. The balloons are expected to overcome surface area issues such as in cities and crowded countries where large solar cell panels are not feasible.
