What is Floating Solar Plant?
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.
Many people might wonder what the purpose of deploying PV solar projects on the water is. Floating solar projects involve solar PV panels that are designed for areas having a water body instead of land.
These are similar to the typical solar panels mounted on the rooftops that transform sunlight into electrical energy. These photovoltaic panels float on water bodies, such as lakes, rivers, seas, oceans, or man-made reservoirs.
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 a top body of water in China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Portugal, Singapore and Switzerland.
How it works?
Floating solar is an eco-friendly method of producing electricity. It combines marine and renewable energy technology. The electricity is sent from this floating body through underwater cables to a transmission tower.
A floating solar panel plant consists of the solar module, anti-rust material; vertical and horizontal frames, buoyancy body, inspection footrest, and module mount assembly. The solar module needs to be highly humidity resistant, dustproof, lead-free, and well protected from the effects of water. The buoyancy is made from polyethylene that can hold 2.5 times the weight. The floating structure is made from magnesium alloy coating, which is highly resistant to corrosion.
How much it costs?
Nevertheless, floating solar plants are expensive to install and demand effort for their maintenance.Compared to ground mounted, floating solar plants are expensive to set up as the cost of floaters constitutes almost 50% of the project cost. As compared to existing Benchmark project cost of US$0.6-0.8 million/MW, floating solar almost costs US$1-1.2 million/MW. However, costs are declining due to countries like China aggressively looking at large installations of such plants, while other countries like Singapore, England, etc. are following it closely. The notable fact is that the cost of floaters used in floating solar projects contributes to approximately 45 to 50% of the total cost. Even after the high-cost factor, these solar projects are advantageous.
Why this technology is preferable?
One of the biggest reasons why this solar technology is preferred by many countries is that they offer higher productivity than the usual ground-mounted or roof-mounted PV panels. Solar floating projects involve the use of solar floating panels. Such panels are one of the most inventive devices for harnessing solar power. Similar to any other solar device, floating panels utilize direct sunlight. But additionally, they use the reflected light from the water surface.
Moreover, the use of the latest technology in designing such solar panels offers enhanced energy production. The increased productivity of floating solar projects is a significant aspect that contributes to their popularity in the country.
It also helps in preserving land resources for other valuable usages.
In addition, the working efficiency of solar panels in water bodies increases due to the cooling tendency of water. If all the technical aspects of a floating solar power plant are met during installation, this power generation system can make a massive difference in preserving the environment from pollution damage.
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