The largest floating solar farm in North America is officially online
The largest floating solar farm in North America is officially online
New Jersey is host to an 8.9 megawatt floating solar farm – the largest floating solar array in North America.
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Looks cool, but the article didn't really discuss the technology at all. E.g. It would have been nice to know how much weather and waves these can handle.
It's built on a reservoir so I assume that means waves aren't an issue. I was glad to see it was a reservoir and not a natural lake or ocean. It means there shouldn't be any (?) environmental impact.
I also wonder if it is beneficial for reducing evaporation.
There's a bit more detailed info in the press release from last year about the start of the project. It's on the website linked in the article.
It probably does help with evaporation, similarly to the black balls in this video from Veritasium.
Yeah I was totally thinking of the Vertitasium video!
They do reduced the evaporation and are are being installed in lots of reservoirs in hot areas because of it. That said, the permanent shade might have a negative impact on the aquatic ecosystems which need to be managed.
But as I mentioned above I don't think there should be much of an environmental impact. Man-made reservoirs are not usually aquatic ecosystems, so it shouldn't be a factor. Unfortunately, I haven't really found any info to back that statement up.
Any body of water is an aquatic ecosystem. You’ll have algae after some days and fish after a year or two.
But it's not meant to be a natural ecosystem where you're trying to protect it.
But after what time is it an ecosystem that has to be protected? We have here the "Lüneburger Heide" with a lot of protected species and take great care to keep it a heathen. It is an artificial landscape and was woodland before all the trees were chopped off to cook salt in Lüneburg. It was kept clear by sheep. Shepherding on an open plain is now unprofitable and if we would stop now to pay the shepherds a complete ecosystem would vanish and be overgrown by bushes and trees. That would hurt biodiversity and tourism. But it would be the natural environment for northern Germany.
Is it a reservoir? If it's a man-made reservoir you are not expecting or desiring it to become a natural ecosystem. Your primary goals are to keep the water there and keep it clean.
But a functional ecosystem keeps the water clean. You can have either a complete system with complex food chains or chlorine.
Good point about the evaporation! Yes any energy flowing away along the wires is away from heating the water. Though how significant this is, dunno.
They do mention that the water helps cool the solar panels. There's a math problem here... Solar energy converted by water directly vs with solar panels, etc etc.