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https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/14/23639474/floating-solar-panels-power-cities-renewable-energy>
"Thousands of cities around the world could power themselves entirely with
solar panels floating atop water reservoirs, according to new research. It’s a
relatively easy way to generate renewable energy locally while also conserving
water.
Solar arrays suspended over water, or floatovoltaics, work similarly to those
spread out over land. The panels sit on a raft instead of on parking lots,
rooftops, or other grounded mounts. But they haven’t been deployed in many
places around the world yet and only produced as much electricity as less than
1 percent of the world’s land-based solar farms in 2020. Now, a new study
published in the journal
Nature Sustainability shows just how much potential
cities could tap into with this emerging technology.
Researchers found that 6,256 cities across 124 countries could, in theory, meet
all their electricity demand from solar panels deployed on nearby water
reservoirs. They would just need to cover about 30 percent of the water’s
surface with floatovoltaics. The researchers analyzed 114,555 reservoirs around
the world using multiple databases and then modeled potential power generation
using realistic climate data.
And since all those floating arrays would block enough sunlight to reduce
evaporation, the researchers also projected major water savings. Cumulatively,
the panels would conserve about as much water as 300 million people might use
annually (or roughly 106 cubic kilometers per year). That would be incredibly
helpful as droughts made worse by climate change suck reservoirs dry.
In fact, when it comes to problems that need to be solved quickly in a warming
world, floating solar panels tick a lot of boxes. Droughts curtail
hydroelectricity generation as water levels drop. And heatwaves can reduce a
solar panel’s efficiency by up to 25 percent, which means that it isn’t able to
convert as much sunlight into electricity. Luckily, water has a cooling effect
that can keep solar cells from overheating. Crucially, floating solar farms and
hydroelectric dams working in tandem can boost power generation during hot
summer days when people need more electricity for air conditioning."
Via Frederick Wilson II.
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
