The use of renewable energy has been on the rise the past couple of years, and not only are companies beginning to make the switch but countries as well. Currently India has taken an interesting step to provide clean energy while also efficiently using the space available to them.
Over the past years floating power plants have been becoming more popular in varying countries. In the Saitama prefecture in Japan a 1.18 MW floating solar PV (photovoltaic) was put into operation last June. The technology was built by a company in France called Ciel el Terre that focuses on large scale PV systems.
India is currently making plans to build the world's largest floating solar power plant. The plant is expected to produce 50 megawatts. A single megawatt from a conventional generator, like a coal plant, can theoretically power 400-900 homes. From a solar plant a single MW can be expected to power around 160 homes on average. This number can rise or shrink depending on factors like amount of sunlight it collects, how much energy the homes use, and the weather. Even so, if the average holds than this plant can be expected to power over 8000 homes.
The plan to build this massive floating power plant follows after the plans for a canal-top solar panel project. The project plans to build cover canals with solar panels that can get about 10 MW in the Indian state of Gujart. This major project is expected to cost between 64-72 million dollars. It will be set up in bodies of water in the Southern state of Kerala by the National Hydro Power Corporation with assistance from Renewable Energy College.
The panels will be installed on floating platforms that are anchored tightly so that they do not move too much if the weather gets bad. By being on top of the water the solar panels will be able to cool themselves more efficiently than if they were on land. This means that they will last longer, produce more energy, and help prevent evaporation in hot summers.
Through and through the floating solar panels outperform their land based relatives. As the technology advances the world may start seeing the ocean filling up with massive floating power plants.
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