Solar panels that float on water are becoming a popular clean-energy option for island nations and those with limited land. These photos reveal the possibilities.
In a world of finite land, solar farms can take up a lot of space. But there’s a solution for that scarcity: panels that float.
In nearly a dozen countries around the world, floating solar farms are providing a welcome alternative to ground-mounted modules, with the potential to significantly boost clean power as the world races to cut carbon emissions. Massive solar farms can now be found atop bodies of water in China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Portugal, Singapore and Switzerland. Nations that include India and Indonesia are developing such projects, and the world’s largest man-made lake — on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe — may also get floating solar panels to supplement local hydropower.
“Land use is becoming a big issue for renewables. People are worrying about competing uses of land, and in some markets, you might struggle to find land,” says Lara Hayim, head of solar research at BloombergNEF. “So in those places, there is a bit of an incentive to build on water.”
Like land-based systems, floating solar panels generate electricity from the sun’s rays. But the bodies of water that these farms rest on also help to cool the panels, allowing them to be 15% more efficient than terrestrial solar, per an estimate from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute.
- News
- Solar
More from across PES
GCL SI combines high-performance solar solutions with environmental integration.
28th March 2024, Lisbon/ GCL System Integration Technology Co. Ltd (GCLSI), a one-stop energy solution provider, presents the latest solar solutions and discusses biodiversity best practices at the Large-Scale Solar Conference held in Portugal from 26th to 27th March. GCL SI, a pioneer in the global PV industry with a transparent and vertically integrated supply… Read more »
Brazil: Corio and Prumo sign MOU to develop offshore wind at Port of Açu
CEOs of Corio and Prumo confirm agreement at Brazil Offshore Wind Summit. Memorandum of Understanding kickstarts commercial negotiations to agree the reservation of a dedicated area for Corio at Port of Açu. The port is a potential strategic hub for Brazil’s emergent offshore wind sector. 27 March 2024, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Global offshore… Read more »
Merganser receives certification from Bureau Veritas
Bureau Veritas Awards World’s First Prototype Certification for SolarDuck’s Floating Offshore Solar Solution Bureau Veritas (BV), a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification (TIC), has awarded the Dutch-Norwegian renewable energy company SolarDuck the world’s first Prototype Certification for a floating offshore solar technology, as applied in SolarDuck’s 0.5 MW pilot “Merganser”. This certification represents… Read more »
Aerones Launches Autonomous Drone Inspection Service for Wind Turbine Blades
Aerones, a pioneer in robotic wind turbine inspection and maintenance services, advances its drone visual inspection service by introducing the Autonomous drone visual inspection. With this solution time required for visual inspection will be reduced even further. For inspections Aerones uses professional, industrial-grade drones with a custom high-resolution camera module. If previously drone inspections were… Read more »
Rovco expands offshore wind and decommissioning capabilities with new specialist vessel
LONDON, 26 March 2024: Rovco, a leading provider of tech-powered offshore wind solutions, has chartered the MV Patriot for its specialist fleet. It will join Rovco’s existing two site characterisation vessels. Driven by the growth of the offshore wind sector and the decommissioning needs of the oil and gas industry, the addition of the 74m vessel strengthens… Read more »
World’s Largest Tonnage and Highest Lift Wheeled Crane Completes Its First Lift in Hengshui, China
XCMG’s XCA4000 Wheeled Crane Marks the 7th Time that XCMG Has Broken the World Record Kept by Itself. HENGSHUI, China, March 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — In a recent operation at a 200 MW wind farm in Jing County, Hengshui, China, the XCA4000 crane, delivered by XCMG, a global leader in the construction machinery industry, 20 days ago with the highest global… Read more »
APRIL 8TH ECLIPSE COULD COST AMERICA MORE SOLAR GENERATION THAN ANY ECLIPSE PREVIOUSLY
Deutsche Windtechnik advances the Belgian wind energy sector by introducing independent wind turbine services
Renewable Parts launches USA’s first wind turbine component recirculation centre in Lone Star State
Online Magazine Reader
- Solar/PV
- Wind
- China