(ORDO NEWS) — Thousands of cities around the world can be completely powered by solar panels floating on the surface of water bodies, according to a new study.
This is a relatively easy way to generate renewable energy locally while conserving water.
Above-water solar panels work similarly to those installed on land. The panels are mounted on a raft, not on parking lots, rooftops, or other grounded supports.
The researchers found that 6,256 cities in 124 countries could theoretically meet all their electricity needs from solar panels installed on nearby reservoirs.
They would just need to cover about 30 percent of the water surface with floating electrons.
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 these floating arrays will block enough sunlight to reduce evaporation, the researchers also predict significant water savings.
Together, the panels will save about as much water as 300 million people can use annually (or about 106 cubic kilometers per year).
This would be incredibly helpful as droughts exacerbated by climate change devastate reservoirs.
Droughts reduce hydropower generation as water levels fall. And heatwaves can reduce a solar panel’s efficiency by 25 percent, meaning it can’t convert that much sunlight into electricity.
Fortunately, water has a cooling effect that can keep solar panels from overheating.
Importantly, floating solar farms and hydroelectric power plants working in tandem can increase electricity generation during hot summer days when people need more electricity for air conditioning.
Of course, developers will still need to evaluate each reservoir to limit any negative side effects.
For example, covering a reservoir too much with solar panels can lead to a decrease in the oxygen content of the water, which can harm fish.
The study notes that building on artificial water bodies rather than natural water bodies may be a less disruptive option.
The study found that the greatest potential for floating energy is in places where there are already many communities living near reservoirs.
As a rule, these are small towns with a population of less than 50,000 people.
Only 15 percent of the surveyed cities with populations over 1 million will be able to fully meet their electricity needs with floating solar farms alone.
Floating solar panels are already gaining popularity in Asia. Pictured above, you can see NASA satellite imagery of one of the world’s largest floating solar farms that went online last year in Shandong province.
And in South Korea, there are more than 92,000 solar panels shaped like plum blossoms floating on a 12-mile reservoir in Hapcheon County.
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