Over the past two years, energy prices have reached record highs, causing many countries to turn to renewable energy sources. With its sunny climate, Portugal is in a prime position to accelerate its shift to solar power. One impressive example of this is the floating solar farm located on the Alcaba Reservoir in the south of the country. The solar array covers an area the size of five football pitches and is home to over 12,000 photovoltaic panels.
Floating solar farms like this one are becoming increasingly popular, as they offer a number of advantages over traditional solar installations. For one, they can be located on bodies of water that are not used for any other purpose, such as reservoirs. This helps to make more efficient use of space and reduce the need to clear land for the installation. Additionally, the water provides a cooling effect for the panels, which can increase their efficiency by up to 10%. Finally, the platform can shield the water from the sun, reducing evaporation and preventing the growth of blue-green algae.
Despite these advantages, floating solar farms are still relatively rare. One reason for this is the cost of installation. However, as the technology becomes more widely used, costs are likely to come down. Another challenge is positioning the panels at the optimal angle to maximize their output. This is where new technologies like sun tracking come into play. Sun tracking solar panels can follow the path of the sun throughout the day, increasing energy production by up to a third.
The Alcaba Reservoir solar farm is a great example of how renewable energy sources can be combined to create hybrid systems. The solar panels are connected to the same power line as the hydroelectric plant, sharing the same infrastructure. This helps to make the most efficient use of available capacity and reduce the need to build new transmission lines. Additionally, the solar farm can provide a reliable source of power during periods of low water flow or drought, when the hydroelectric plant may not be able to operate at full capacity.
One challenge of having a large platform on the water is managing the local wildlife. Birds in particular can leave droppings on the panels, which can reduce their efficiency. To address this, the team at the Alcaba Reservoir is experimenting with using autonomous robots to clean the panels. These robots will use artificial intelligence to predict when is the best time to clean the panels and ensure they are always operating at peak efficiency.
Overall, the Alcaba Reservoir floating solar farm is an impressive example of the potential of renewable energy sources. As the world becomes more focused on reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change, we can expect to see more innovative solutions like this one. With the right technology and investment, every country, whether landlocked or not, can become its own energy island.
I think this is a great idea I especially like the sun tracker panels. They should be mandatory at every single damn in the world.🙏🙏🙏 it’s a perfect marriage with the power station.
The water based solar panels will have some impact on the flora and fauna around and underneath it that should be studied. I hope these manmade structures can be tweaked to the benefit of all.
I prefer nuclear and hydropower. But solar operated together with a hydropower plant as a water-saver technology makes sense — that is to say, they shouldn’t sell the two sources of electricity separately, and the combined system power shouldn’t exceed the power of the hydropower alone.
There is another downside as well. You want your panels to be about 30-40 degrees to the horizontal for maximum radiation in the UK ,depending on the season. Your revenue from the project is a factor of cos theta where theta is the mismatch in alignment. I suggest we go looking for a south facing hill of about 30-40 degrees. After all it would be too steep to grow crops on. You get more cash than sheep farming per acre.
Cooling solar panels by floating them on fresh water substantially extends the productive lifespan.