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Floating solar panels
Posted by: Wags
Date: June 07, 2022 02:36PM
Kind of an interesting idea, comes with upsides and downsides.

[www.nature.com]

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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: Paul F.
Date: June 07, 2022 02:56PM
If that's saltwater, I suspect they're going to get a harsh lesson on how corrosive an environment the sea is.


Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

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Eureka, CA
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: pdq
Date: June 07, 2022 02:58PM
Less evaporation from reservoirs, IIRC.
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: mrbigstuff
Date: June 07, 2022 03:56PM
There's lots and lots and lots of terra firma.


Hurts like a bastid...
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: mikebw
Date: June 07, 2022 03:58PM
Quote
mrbigstuff
There's lots and lots and lots of terra firma.

Indeed. I would suspect that water tends to be flatter than most parts of the earth however.
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: Filliam H. Muffman
Date: June 07, 2022 04:02PM
It is a reasonable option if they balance the ecological issues.

I'm not sure how necessary it is if architects can get people to accept houses/apartments with roofing designs optimized for solar. There should be pretty good job security rebuilding much of the current housing with long term carbon neutral designs.


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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: Carnos Jax
Date: June 07, 2022 04:12PM
Indeed, I believe there is enough global rooftop area to fulfill the world’s energy needs.
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: ztirffritz
Date: June 07, 2022 04:12PM
If used on a hydro-power reservoir it's a win/win scenario. Reduced evaporation, power distribution infrastructure is already in place. Pairing this with pumped hydro could be brilliant. Use solar power to pump the water up during the day, release it at night to provide base load supply.




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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: Lux Interior
Date: June 07, 2022 08:11PM
Quote
mikebw
Quote
mrbigstuff
There's lots and lots and lots of terra firma.

Indeed. I would suspect that water tends to be flatter than most parts of the earth however.

But flat is not the optimal angle for solar panels.
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: Speedy
Date: June 07, 2022 09:58PM
Quote
Lux Interior
Quote
mikebw
Quote
mrbigstuff
There's lots and lots and lots of terra firma.

Indeed. I would suspect that water tends to be flatter than most parts of the earth however.

But flat is not the optimal angle for solar panels.

Not a problem, you just move the water to one side of the lake and slope it appropriately.


Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: Filliam H. Muffman
Date: June 08, 2022 12:41AM
Sadly, pumped hydro has several flops. It is getting better but I think it's better running discrete pumps until some company starts batting batting over .900 with bi-directional systems.


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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: Bill in NC
Date: June 08, 2022 08:36AM
Quote
Speedy
Quote
Lux Interior
Quote
mikebw
Quote
mrbigstuff
There's lots and lots and lots of terra firma.

Indeed. I would suspect that water tends to be flatter than most parts of the earth however.

But flat is not the optimal angle for solar panels.

Not a problem, you just move the water to one side of the lake and slope it appropriately.

Put a great big rotating paddle in the middle so you can bank the water like a NASCAR track!
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: ztirffritz
Date: June 08, 2022 09:03AM
Quote
Filliam H. Muffman
Sadly, pumped hydro has several flops. It is getting better but I think it's better running discrete pumps until some company starts batting batting over .900 with bi-directional systems.

How so? I've only heard about success stories. From an efficiency perspective it isn't great, but for storing energy for later use, it's brilliant as far as I can tell. Pumped-hydro is just a simple battery. If the energy used to charge the battery is intermittent (wind/solar) or un-utilized baseload (gas/coal/nuclear) then it's a great use of energy. From a bean-counter's perspective maybe it's a loser.


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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2022 10:55AM by ztirffritz.
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: JoeH
Date: June 08, 2022 09:35AM
Quote
Filliam H. Muffman
Sadly, pumped hydro has several flops. It is getting better but I think it's better running discrete pumps until some company starts batting batting over .900 with bi-directional systems.

Which flops are you thinking of? There is a pumped storage facility not too far from where I live, it has been operating for about 50 years and once was the largest. Also the turbines used there are bidirectional used to both pump the water up to the storage reservoir and generate electricity.
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: mikebw
Date: June 08, 2022 10:21AM
Quote
Lux Interior
Quote
mikebw
Quote
mrbigstuff
There's lots and lots and lots of terra firma.

Indeed. I would suspect that water tends to be flatter than most parts of the earth however.

But flat is not the optimal angle for solar panels.

Wouldn't that depend on the location on Earth?
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: ztirffritz
Date: June 08, 2022 10:57AM
Quote
JoeH
Which flops are you thinking of? There is a pumped storage facility not too far from where I live, it has been operating for about 50 years and once was the largest. Also the turbines used there are bidirectional used to both pump the water up to the storage reservoir and generate electricity.

Raccoon Mtn in Tennessee was the largest that I'm aware of.


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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: JoeH
Date: June 08, 2022 12:09PM
Quote
ztirffritz
Quote
JoeH
Which flops are you thinking of? There is a pumped storage facility not too far from where I live, it has been operating for about 50 years and once was the largest. Also the turbines used there are bidirectional used to both pump the water up to the storage reservoir and generate electricity.

Raccoon Mtn in Tennessee was the largest that I'm aware of.

Northfield Mountain was completed about 6 years before Raccoon Mountain, 1100+ MW output. Raccoon Mountain is listed at a bit over 1600 MW. In what way is it a flop, or are you thinking of other plants?
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: ztirffritz
Date: June 08, 2022 12:40PM
Quote
JoeH
Quote
ztirffritz
Quote
JoeH
Which flops are you thinking of? There is a pumped storage facility not too far from where I live, it has been operating for about 50 years and once was the largest. Also the turbines used there are bidirectional used to both pump the water up to the storage reservoir and generate electricity.

Raccoon Mtn in Tennessee was the largest that I'm aware of.

Northfield Mountain was completed about 6 years before Raccoon Mountain, 1100+ MW output. Raccoon Mountain is listed at a bit over 1600 MW. In what way is it a flop, or are you thinking of other plants?

I don't think they're a flop. I think they're a great idea. Filliam thought they were a flop. I had the same question as you.


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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2022 12:40PM by ztirffritz.
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: JoeH
Date: June 08, 2022 02:50PM
Quote
ztirffritz
Quote
JoeH
Quote
ztirffritz
Quote
JoeH
Which flops are you thinking of? There is a pumped storage facility not too far from where I live, it has been operating for about 50 years and once was the largest. Also the turbines used there are bidirectional used to both pump the water up to the storage reservoir and generate electricity.

Raccoon Mtn in Tennessee was the largest that I'm aware of.

Northfield Mountain was completed about 6 years before Raccoon Mountain, 1100+ MW output. Raccoon Mountain is listed at a bit over 1600 MW. In what way is it a flop, or are you thinking of other plants?

I don't think they're a flop. I think they're a great idea. Filliam thought they were a flop. I had the same question as you.

Oh, you leaving his statement out of the quote you used is what confused me.
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: macphanatic
Date: June 09, 2022 07:29AM
Not exactly easy to clean the panels in order to maintain efficiency.
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: pbarra1
Date: June 09, 2022 09:32AM
Won't this help cool the panels? Didn't I read that they lose efficiency as they heat up?
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Re: Floating solar panels
Posted by: Filliam H. Muffman
Date: June 09, 2022 08:43PM
Quote
JoeH
Quote
Filliam H. Muffman
Sadly, pumped hydro has several flops. It is getting better but I think it's better running discrete pumps until some company starts batting batting over .900 with bi-directional systems.

Which flops are you thinking of? There is a pumped storage facility not too far from where I live, it has been operating for about 50 years and once was the largest. Also the turbines used there are bidirectional used to both pump the water up to the storage reservoir and generate electricity.

Helms is one. Repeated repairs ran the cost up to about 3x the original estimate and working at less than half capacity for the first few years of operation. Try to find performance statistics from 1984 to 1989.


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