Patent ID: 8448894

Claim:
A method for using an airship to collect and wirelessly deliver renewable solar energy in a sustained, buffered, and controlled manner to any location at any time of day or night, the method comprising the steps of: providing a navigable motorized airship, said airship comprising at least one gas envelope for containing a buoyant lifting gas and a fuel, wherein the buoyant lifting gas and the fuel comprise hydrogen gas; providing a collection means, contiguous with said airship, configured to gather solar radiation and capable of generating a first electricity from said solar radiation; providing a storage means, contiguous with said airship, wherein said storage means comprises: at least one water reservoir configured to store water; at least one electrolytic cell configured to produce a hydrogen fuel from said stored water by application of said first electricity generated by said collection means; at least one hydrogen compressor configured to compress said hydrogen fuel; at least one reservoir configured to store said hydrogen fuel, said at least one reservoir selected from the group consisting of said at least one gas envelope, at least one pressurized hydrogen container, and a combination of at least one gas envelope and at least one pressurized hydrogen container; and at least one fuel cell stack configured to generate a second electricity and heat from said hydrogen fuel drawn from said at least one reservoir; collecting said solar radiation with said collection means during conditions where solar radiation is sufficient to enable generating said first electricity; storing said electricity with said storage means during conditions where solar radiation is sufficient to enable generating said first electricity; flying said airship to a destination where said first or second electricity are to be delivered, retrieving said second electricity from said storage means at any time; providing at least one transmission means, contiguous with said airship, configured to directionally emit an electromagnetic beam using said first or second electricity, providing a targeting means for aiming said transmission means; providing a target, remote from said airship and at said destination, to which said first or second electricity is delivered; directing said electromagnetic beam at said target using said transmission means, wherein directing said electromagnetic beam enables a substantial amount of renewable energy to be delivered to said target regardless of the time of day, cloud cover, or other atmospheric conditions; and providing at least one switching means contiguous with said airship, wherein said at least one switching means is configured to controllably allocate said first or second electricity throughout said airship, and wherein said at least one switching means is further configured to enable a boost mode whereby the step of directing said electromagnetic beam uses both said first electricity and said second electricity in a temporary augmentation of the renewable energy delivered to said target.