The push to expand the use of renewable energy sources has faced a range of challenges in recent years. One suggestion for increasing the provision of solar energy is the creation of floating solar farms, which is an approach with both advantages and disadvantages.
What is floating solar?
Solar panels, like wind turbines and air source heat pumps from renewables specialists such as https://gsmlimited.com/services/air-source-heat-pumps, have become an increasingly common sight in the UK. Most are fitted on rooftops, although some large solar farms have been built in fields. Floating solar, as the name suggests, involves placing solar units on the water.
Floating solar photovoltaics (FSPs), sometimes shortened to floatovoltaics, consist of photovoltaic modules on a platform that floats on the surface of the water. This platform is secured in a permanent position, such as on a lake, reservoir, or ocean bay. This approach is often used in areas with limited amounts of land. Other advantages include that it can prevent harmful algae from blooming and reduce water loss through evaporation during heatwaves.
How could it work in the UK?
There are very few FSPs in the UK, despite increased funding for other types of solar projects. Researchers at Bangor University and the University of Lancaster estimated that if all suitable bodies of water had 10% of their surface covered with FSPs, they could produce up to 2.7TWh of electricity every year If FSPs were installed in reservoirs that are already equipped for hydropower generation, they could take advantage of existing infrastructure to transmit the power once generated.
What challenges does it face?
The main problem affecting the lack of floating solar in the UK is the lack of research into its potential impact. Whilst it has been theorised that solar panels could prevent algae blooms and therefore improve water quality and support aquatic life, the full scale of the effect of FSPs on lake and coastal ecosystems is unknown.
Floating solar may be able to help expand solar power and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, but more research needs to be done to investigate its potential impact.
