In the near future, your home could run on balloon power.

It's an elegantly simple idea. Solar power is one of numerous methods to produce clean, sustainable energy (in a market now worth $150 billion a year), and improvements are being made all the time. Even so, it's still dogged by a problem as old as the technology  - flat panels remain cumbersome and take up a lot of room. 

The answer, say designers including Joseph Cory of Geotectura (as reported by Ari Rabinovitch for Reuters), is to wrap the photovoltaic cells around a helium balloon and make use of the third dimension. These power-generating balloons can be tethered in arrays that make best use of the available sunlight, converting it into approximately a kilowatt of electricity per balloon. Sunshine permitting, two of these could easily power your home, would initially cost you around $4,000 each, and last a full year without needing maintenance.

It's a system designed to take advantage of vertical space where horizontal is at a premium, but there are other benefits. It's quick to deploy: perfect for emergency situations where you unexpectedly need a steady supply of power, like the aftermath of a natural disaster. It also has the potential to rise above ground-level obstructions. Need power in the middle of a forest? Reel the balloon out to just above the treetops, and away you go.

Unlike the traditional flat solar panels, the shape of solar-cell balloons means that they will always be able to capture the sun's energy, no matter which way they're pointing. And Cory promises further innovations in their design: "The vision is that we can make as many balloons as we want in a special way, like the leaves of a flower that do not shade each other".

The designers warn that this technology should only be used as a secondary option where there is unused sky-facing space, such as the roofs of city buildings – but the most exciting aspect is its eco-friendly portability: It's a method of electricity generation that requires minimal installation and has no carbon footprint. 

Truly, the sky's the limit.