All You Need To Know About Floatovoltaics

A world powered by a variety of renewable energy sources is replacing one that was previously dependent on a finite supply of fossil fuels. One of the most popular renewable energy sources in the world is now solar energy systems, and as the fight against climate change becomes a more universal objective, the photovoltaic (PV) sector has continued to develop. As a result of this progress, a variety of PV system types have entered the market, among them floating photovoltaics (FPV), also known as "floatovoltaics," which are intended to float on water instead of on land.

 

Large, flat, and shade-free plots of land are great for solar farms, this is also true of land that is perfect for farming. This has caused a natural conflict between agricultural land use and solar development. As the world's population rises, land is becoming more and more expensive and scarce, particularly in highly industrialized urban regions. Due to their ability to occupy vacant waterways rather than farms, FPV systems have been developed and innovated as a result of these land-based problems. Common installation locations emphasize man-made, inland, relatively calm water—the aquatic counterpart of a brownfield site. These may consist of ponds used for agriculture and industry, industrial reservoirs, and hydroelectric dams.

 

The basic components of FPV systems are the same as those used in land-based projects: solar panels use sunlight to convert it into DC (direct current) electricity, which is then gathered by combiner boxes and converted into AC (alternating current) electricity by inverters. The necessary voltage is then added to the AC current before being delivered down transmission lines to meet an electrical demand. The primary distinctions between the two projects are that for FPV projects, a floating mechanism is employed to keep the array above the waterline, and the mooring and anchoring system prevents the array from drifting and maintains the panels' ideal sun-facing orientation.

 

Although building firms are free to use their own unique designs, usually generally, solar panels are mounted either directly onto buoyant polymer floats or onto metal structures that are attached to pontoons, with maintenance pathways incorporated in both situations. An anchoring and mooring system may not necessarily be required depending on the site's location. Since no heavy machinery or civil work are required during construction, installation and deployment, they are typically simpler than land-based systems. In order to determine whether or not it gets cold enough for the water to freeze over, temperature extremes in various climates must also be taken into consideration. 

 

If the appropriate materials are not used for the polymer floating structures, the significant expansion and contraction brought on by freezing temperatures could have detrimental structural effects. Although thin-film and energy-concentrating solar panels are being investigated for more specialized uses, conventional stiff silicon-based solar panels are still the most frequently used in FPV projects. 

 

Although not without its difficulties, installing an electricity-generating system on a body of water has a number of benefits that make it an appealing idea. 

 

As was already noted, the main benefit of floatovoltaics is that no land is needed. This benefits places with high land prices, such as island nations and regions with valuable agricultural, in particular.

Hybrid systems constructed next to existing hydroelectric dams may have lower construction costs and transmission losses due to their close proximity to existing electrical transmission infrastructure.

 

Floatovoltaic-hydroelectric hybrid systems naturally balance each other and provide energy storage capabilities. The added solar power can be used to offset demand during the day when production is highest, saving the pumped-storage hydroelectric energy stored in higher-elevation reservoirs until demand peaks during night hours.

Solar panels naturally perform better and are more efficient when temperatures are lower. It has been demonstrated that using water instead of land-based panels increases efficiency by 11% because the water works as a natural cooling to maintain temperatures at more optimum levels.

Being near water means that there is less dust present, and water is easily accessible for routine panel washing. In comparison to land-based initiatives, these systems have lower soiling losses. As there are often few to no shade objects close to floating arrays, FPV systems might anticipate lower shading losses than land-based projects. Water loss due to evaporation is decreased by floatovoltaics shading the water. This is a huge advantage for reservoir systems, particularly in dry regions where water scarcity is a major problem.

 

By preventing sunlight from reaching the water's surface, solar panels' shadow also helps to reduce the problem of algae blooms. Large-scale growth of algae creates a "dead zone" where no aquatic life can live because it blocks sunlight from reaching underwater plants and exhausts the oxygen in the surrounding water. In inhabited places, algae blooms can emit chemicals that contaminate drinking water and harm the health of neighboring people and animals. Another important factor for areas with limited access to water is that FPV systems prevent algal blooms, which reduces water pollution and improves water quality.

 

Floatovoltaic projects are not without their own difficulties, despite the long list of possible benefits for FPV.

In some circumstances, construction might be more complicated and costly. This is particularly true when intricate mooring and anchoring arrangements are required or when specific preparation is required to take account of changing water levels.

Building and operating near water necessitate extra-strict electrical safety measures, durable electrical equipment, and mitigation of increased operational and maintenance challenges that may necessitate boats and occasionally diving employees.

As a relatively new system in the solar business, there is little historical data on completed projects, and project costs are still unpredictable. This may make FPV systems appear less appealing as potential investments.

 

Floatovoltaics is still a relatively new technology, with the first research-based floating solar plant in the world having been constructed in Japan in 2007. Despite the fact that the country's first floating solar project was built more than ten years ago, in 2008, the number of floating solar projects in the country has grown at a slower rate than anticipated, with only 14 projects in operation as of the end of 2018. This is partly because land is more accessible, and since the United States has a lot of land, locating a good and available site for solar projects has not yet proven to be more difficult or time-consuming than establishing a system on land.

 

In contrast, floating solar power has increased in popularity in smaller nations with less available land. As of 2018, Japan installed 56 of the 70 largest floating solar arrays in the world, serving as an excellent example. The United States is projected to fall significantly behind Asian nations like South Korea and Japan in terms of installed floating solar capacity.

 

The United States is still in the race, despite this. Over 24,000 U.S. reservoirs suitable for floatovoltaic systems, according to a conservative estimate from a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and could produce 10% of the country's current energy needs. These aquatic-based initiatives will become more desirable as land becomes scarcer because the capacity is there.

 

We can anticipate a significant increase in the number of FPV projects implemented internationally utilizing tried and true procedures using conventional rigid silicon solar panels because the technology is still so new. Additionally, we should anticipate research into more novel uses, such the creation of offshore projects. The majority of current systems are based on artificial structures in calm waters, therefore offshore initiatives would need more substantial construction to withstand more severe weather conditions. The water's salinity raises the possibility of system component corrosion and mechanical failure over time.

 

The usage of thin-film solar panels is one of the suggested strategies for offshore systems. As a result, the structure is able to bend and give way to approaching waves without suffering harm. Theoretically, direct contact with the water's surface would boost efficiency benefits from the water's cooling impact and allow the modules to stay clean, essentially eliminating soiling losses. Large-scale commercial feasibility is still a ways off, therefore long-term dependability and electrical safety need to be further investigated. The use of tracking Floatovoltaic systems, in which the entire array can revolve and follow the sun as it moves from east to west, is another potential development. Moving the array on the water presents negligible resistance, therefore this may be done with motors with little effort. Financing is the major obstacle to the implementation of these monitoring systems because the motors require a large initial investment and ongoing maintenance.

 

In the interim, we can anticipate that floating solar will spread more widely when it is economically practical in regions with an abundance of suitable sites. Future land scarcity and competitiveness will increase due to the world's expanding population, making floating solar projects an increasingly appealing solution. In the coming decades, floatovoltaic systems have the potential to be a key technology in helping governments achieve their goals of deploying renewable energy sources and reducing GHG emissions.