Floating solar plants on dams

[bruce_the_loon]

Interesting article about using floating solar plants on dams to both generate power and reduce evaporation. The researchers looked at multiple countries including South Africa and figure we can save 1.6 cubic kilometers of water per year and provide a big chunk of the power demand.

Of course, now we're adding DWS to the already crowded energy gangsters meeting.

Floating solar panels could provide over a third of global electricity

Panels on reservoirs can keep enough water for 300 million people from evaporating.

arstechnica.com

 

[porchrat]

That's an interesting idea.

 

[RedViking]

What could possibly go wrong..

 

[Zameside]

Seen those power from wave generators floating inshore on northern seas. We have enough coastline for that too.

 

[backstreetboy]

Great idea and the people will drown trying to steal them.

 

[Mystic Twilight]

Unless your dam is perfectly uniformly shaped like a cube, not really practical. What happens if the dam level is low, do the platforms on the edges hang on its side when they hit aground on the sloped lake wall/bed.

 

[Oldfut]

Unless your dam is perfectly uniformly shaped like a cube, not really practical. What happens if the dam level is low, do the platforms on the edges hang on its side when they hit aground on the sloped lake wall/bed.

Not really, floating covers to limit evaporation etc can be made to any shape. The PV panels could be placed on them in whatever rectangular configuration fits if that was all that was available. But there are many, many options, largely ignored in SA. Two are open areas can be covered with flexible solar "blankets" (waste dumps etc) and there is a double glazing product with water between the glass sheets that can be heated by the sun.

 

[Solitude]

It's a brilliant idea. A lot of our dam water evaporates and this will help with that plus of course the added power generation.

 

[Herr der Verboten]

Interesting article about using floating solar plants on dams to both generate power and reduce evaporation. The researchers looked at multiple countries including South Africa and figure we can save 1.6 cubic kilometers of water per year and provide a big chunk of the power demand.

Of course, now we're adding DWS to the already crowded energy gangsters meeting.

Floating solar panels could provide over a third of global electricity

Panels on reservoirs can keep enough water for 300 million people from evaporating.

arstechnica.com

Until 1st world "awesomeness" meets comrade-world.

 

[TheJman]

Amazing idea - would be great to see this rolled out.

Double win - using open unused space to generate power while also preventing some evaporation

 

[grok]

Unless your dam is perfectly uniformly shaped like a cube, not really practical. What happens if the dam level is low, do the platforms on the edges hang on its side when they hit aground on the sloped lake wall/bed.

If playing Minecraft taught me anything is that you can construct any shape using blocks..



Just a pity those apartheid guys built our dams too large..

 

[Dan C]

hmm this could work well on the Gariep dam. Lots of sun there and space.