Technology Tuesdays: Floating Solar

Hello Partners!

The general consensus on solar is that it’s a no-brainer!  Of course, in regions where sunlight is abundant, it makes perfect sense to harness all that energy and use it to fuel our communities.  However, not all regions that have abundant sunlight are good candidates for solar.  Why is that?

Some regions may have a shortage of land area to designate for a solar array.  Also, the building stock may be made up of primarily older buildings that are unable to support the weight of solar panels.  Another issue may be the fact there is a lot of mature vegetation in the area producing shade over those solar panels.  It doesn’t make sense to reconstruct the building stock or cut down all the trees.

That leads us to a relatively new idea.  Those same solar panels can be installed on floating devices and placed in the water.  There are a number of advantages to doing this:

1.  The necessary land space for a solar array will be eliminated.  In some areas, this is monumental to offset the cost because the value of land varies drastically from region to region.  Also, floating solar makes sense in places where power is already being generated, such as a hydroelectric dam.
2.  Bodies of water are excellent at stabilizing climate and temperature.  Of course, solar panels are designed to withstand heat but just as with any other electronic device, performance declines once the temperature reaches beyond a certain point.  Placing the panels on the water helps to alleviate that issue.
3.  Expanding upon #2, solar panels can also have a positive effect on the bodies of water where they are installed.  A large enough solar array can help to cool that body of water resulting in a reduction of certain algae growth which can be harmful if introduced to drinking water.

There are many ways to improve the technology we already have with a bit of imagination.  I am looking forward to seeing some of the first floating solar arrays in the very near future!

Keep an eye out for more ways to save!

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Sources:
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/floating-solar-gears-up-for-the-high-seas
https://news.energysage.com/floating-solar-what-you-need-to-know/