In the pursuit of more efficient and adaptable solar energy solutions, Portuguese company SolarisFloat is pioneering the development of floating solar panels. The solar panels can dynamically track sunlight, potentially revolutionizing renewable energy generation.
This approach aims to address the inherent limitation of solar panels, particularly in cloudy weather, where they typically generate only 10%-25% of their maximum capacity on average.
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The concept behind SolarisFloat’s technology involves creating floating solar farm islands equipped with electric engines that enable them to orient themselves to follow the sun’s rays throughout the day.
These islands feature a variety of axis designs for solar panels, allowing for optimal angling to capture sunlight effectively. These features occupy only a small fraction — about less than half a percent — of the total energy produced by the solar panels.
“More people will know that floating solar exists,” said Antonio Duarte, the lead technical engineer at SolarisFloat. “It’s an opportunity and we have to take those opportunities to show the world that things can change and things are possible.”
Beyond enhancing energy generation, SolarisFloat emphasizes additional environmental benefits of its technology, such as reducing water evaporation by up to 60% and mitigating harmful algae growth, thanks to the shadows cast on the water’s surface.
One floating solar farm has already been installed in the Netherlands. It covers an area of 15,543 square feet, comparable to the size of an NHL hockey rink, and generates a peak power of 73 kilowatts.
“To be sustainable, you have to be responsible,” Duarte said. “If you don’t spoil the lake itself, life will continue on the lake. You can share the water with people and with the environment, but you can also produce energy.”
While the current implementation may seem space-intensive for its output, experts foresee vast potential in this technology. Studies done at the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore suggest that covering just 10% of man-made reservoirs worldwide with floating solar farms could yield an installed capacity of 20 terawatts. Currently, the planet as a whole uses about 17.7 terawatts of energy annually.
Floating solar farms are garnering praise from advocates of green energy for their ability to mitigate land use concerns associated with traditional solar installations. Compared to non-renewable energy sources like coal and fossil fuels, solar farms require substantially less land.
According to research by Leiden University, solar farms need up to 45 times more land than coal plants and up to 100 times more land than fossil fuel power stations to produce equivalent energy output.
“Renewable energy production is going to increase all around the world,” Duarte said. “Solar installations are going to increase much more on water than land. Why? Because land is becoming a very precious asset.”
Analysts predict a promising future for floating solar technology, with demand expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. A Transparency Market report forecasts a yearly growth rate of 43% over the next decade, projecting the industry’s value to reach $24.5 billion by 2031.
[JACK AYLMER]
SOLAR PANELS really shine – when they’re under direct sunlight. It seems obvious – but when the weather is cloudy –
ON AVERAGE THE TECHNOLOGY CAN ONLY GENERATE AROUND 10 TO 25 PERCENT OF ITS MAXIMUM CAPACITY.
so WHAT IF SOLAR PANELS COULD FOLLOW THE SUNLIGHT INSTEAD OF JUST WAITING AROUND FOR IDEAL CONDITIONS.
THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT one PORTUGUESE COMPANY IS TRYING TO MAKE POSSIBLE.
SolarisFloat is developing WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A FLOATING ISLAND OF SOLAR PANELS.
EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRIC ENGINES – the island can actually FOLLOW THE SUN’S RAYS, and FEATURES AN ARRAY OF DIFFERENT AXIS DESIGNS FOR ITS PANELS.
THIS ALLOWS THEM TO BE ANGLED IN A VARIETY OF DIRECTIONS TO BEST CAPTURE SUNLIGHT.
THESE FEATURES ONLY TAKE UP ABOUT HALF A PERCENT OF THE TOTAL ENERGY ITS SOLAR PANELS PRODUCE.
THE energy solutions COMPANY SAYS THE SHADOWS CREATED ON THE WATER BY THIS TECHNOLOGY CAN REDUCE EVAPORATION BY AS MUCH AS 60 PERCENT AND CUT DOWN ON THE AMOUNT OF HARMFUL ALGAE.
[ANTONIO DUARTE]
“To be sustainable, you have to be responsible. When you have for example, a lake like this, if you don’t spoil the lake himself, life will continue on the lake. And you can, you can share the big part of the water with people and with the environment, but you can produce also energy..”
[JACK AYLMER]
ONE OF THESE FLOATING SOLAR FARMS has already been installed IN THE NETHERLANDS.
IT MEASURES OVER 15 AND A HALF THOUSAND SQUARE FEET, CLOSE TO THE SIZE OF AN N-H-L HOCKEY RINK.
[GFX 10 HOMES BEING POWERED BY FLOATING SOLAR FARM]
THE PANELS CAN GENERATE A TOTAL OF 73 KILOWATTS AT PEAK POWER, ABOUT ENOUGH ELECTRICITY TO KEEP AN AVERAGE SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD RUNNING.
[ANCHOR]
IT’S A LOT OF SPACE FOR A LIMITED RETURN, BUT EXPERTS BELIEVE THEY’RE JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY.
[SOT]
[SOLARISFLOAT pilot project with TNO in Westvoorne.mp4]
(2:33-2:47)
“More people will will know that the floating solar exists. And so I believe that this is very, very important to to happen those projects, and now it’s an opportunity and we have to take those opportunities to show the world that things can change and things are possible.” –Antonio Duarte, SolarisFloat lead technical engineer
RESEARCHERS AT THE SOLAR ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF SINGAPORE say COVERING JUST 10 PERCENT OF ALL MAN-MADE RESERVOIRS IN THE WORLD WITH THIS TECH WOULD RESULT IN AN INSTALLED CAPACITY OF 20 TERAWATTS
TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, THE ENTIRE PLANET CONSUMES ABOUT 18 TERRAWATTS EVERY YEAR.
FLOATING SOLAR FARMS ARE ALSO BEING PRAISED BY GREEN ENERGY ADVOCATES AS A WAY TO LIMIT THE OFTEN VAST AMOUNTS OF LAND THEY WOULD OTHERWISE OCCUPY.
THESE AREAS OFTEN GREATLY EXCEED THE SPACE NEEDED TO PRODUCE EQUIVALENT POWER FROM NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES.
[GFX SHOWING 45 SOLAR FARMS EQUALING ONE COAL PLANT]
SOLAR FARMS REQUIRE up to 45 TIMES MORE LAND THAN COAL PLANTS TO CREATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF ENERGY ACCORDING TO INTERESTING ENGINEERING.
[GFX SHOWING 45 SOLAR FARMS EQUALING ONE FOSSIL FUEL POWER STATION]
AS MUCH AS 100 TIMES MORE LAND IS NEEDED FOR A SOLAR FARM TO EQUAL A FOSSIL FUEL POWER STATION’S ENERGY OUTPUT.
ANALYSTS BELIEVE THESE SPACE REQUIREMENTS FOR INSTALLATION WILL LEAD TO MANY MORE FLOATING SOLAR FARMS IN THE FUTURE.
CREATING AN INDUSTRY THAT WILL BE WORTH TENS OF BILLIONS BY THE END OF THE DECADE.
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