In the drive to create a more renewable future, no technology or innovation is off the table. And one of the most exciting technologies being developed as a means to tackle climate change is a floating solar platform, which would allow bodies of water to house temporary solar installations, and avoid the concerns with land-based solar arrays.
What is floating solar anyway?
When you think of solar panels Worcester, such as those installed by https://gsmlimited.com/services/solar-panels/worcester, you automatically think of rooftop solar. At a pinch, we might think of rows of glinting panels installed across farmland. But now, solar arrays can be found floating on reservoirs or attached to rafts.
These floating solar PV systems are also called ‘floatovoltaics’ and the technology is emerging in Asia and across Europe. It’s particularly suitable for urban areas that are short of space for land-based solar projects, and it offers an intriguing way for renewable energy to be installed off land.
The potential of floating solar
Floating solar also offers huge potential for the clean energy transition. American researchers found that federally-owned reservoirs in the USA could hold sufficient solar floating installations to generate up to 1,465 TWh of clean energy, which would be enough to power around 100 million properties every year.
Even with a conservative scenario, the researchers found that the potential for this technology equated to over 50% of the solar capacity that would be needed by the US for a completely carbon-free grid in 2025.
The benefits of floating solar
The most obvious benefit of floating solar is that it reduces the need for land use, but it also shades bodies of water, which conserves limited water supplies by reducing evaporation. The panels are also up to 15% more efficient because the water cools them down.
It will certainly be interesting to see whether floating solar panels take off in the coming years or whether the focus will remain on rooftop solar panels for the mainstay of the solar PV industry. Either way, it’s good news for the clean energy revolution.