Have you heard about floating solar farms?
A floating solar system having a peripheral buoyant pontoon within which is suspended an array of individual photovoltaic panels each equipped with a float. A stabilizing skirt drops down into the water underneath the pontoon and creates a more placid “moon pool” within the pontoon to reduce turbulence from wave action and therefore enhance the efficiency of the array of photovoltaic panels. A plurality of the floating solar systems may be aggregated to form an island of units. The individual panels or rows or columns thereof may be flat (horizontal) or tilted so that they can be oriented more normally with regard to the sun's rays.
In a 6 kilowatt solar installation made up of 20 solar panels, the panels alone will weigh approximately 800 pounds (20 panels x 40 lbs). Based on our calculation above, we know that this same system measures at 352 square feet, which works out to a weight of 2.3 pounds per square foot (800 pounds ÷ 352 sq ft).
The above from multiple sources.
A quantum dot solar cell is lightweight in comparison as it is comprised of a layer of QD, electrode films and polymer sheets sealed. The weight difference could make a big difference in the choice of frame, anchoring support and flotation volume needed to float the array. This cost difference in the BOS – balance of systems and their installation can be a significant difference in making a competitive bid for floating projects.
Here is an article and video on a very large floating solar farm -
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-...-in-china/
A floating solar system having a peripheral buoyant pontoon within which is suspended an array of individual photovoltaic panels each equipped with a float. A stabilizing skirt drops down into the water underneath the pontoon and creates a more placid “moon pool” within the pontoon to reduce turbulence from wave action and therefore enhance the efficiency of the array of photovoltaic panels. A plurality of the floating solar systems may be aggregated to form an island of units. The individual panels or rows or columns thereof may be flat (horizontal) or tilted so that they can be oriented more normally with regard to the sun's rays.
In a 6 kilowatt solar installation made up of 20 solar panels, the panels alone will weigh approximately 800 pounds (20 panels x 40 lbs). Based on our calculation above, we know that this same system measures at 352 square feet, which works out to a weight of 2.3 pounds per square foot (800 pounds ÷ 352 sq ft).
The above from multiple sources.
A quantum dot solar cell is lightweight in comparison as it is comprised of a layer of QD, electrode films and polymer sheets sealed. The weight difference could make a big difference in the choice of frame, anchoring support and flotation volume needed to float the array. This cost difference in the BOS – balance of systems and their installation can be a significant difference in making a competitive bid for floating projects.
Here is an article and video on a very large floating solar farm -
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-...-in-china/
