Floating solar panels don’t use land, can be installed on reservoirs and water areas not used for other purposes, and help prevent water loss by evaporation. British farmer Mark Bennett has installed a 200kw array on a reservoir and hopes this will encourage others to do so.
Bennett’s solar farm uses Ciel et Terre’s modular Hydrelio system. He says the potential is there for systems to be up to 100 times the size of his installation. “We are speaking to big utility companies, to agricultural companies – anyone with an unused body of water. The potential is remarkable,” he told NCE. The floating solar panels are made of 100 percent recyclable materials, have a life expectancy of 30 years, and are safe to install on drinking water reservoirs.