Renewable Revolution

Developer Pursues Floating Solar Projects in US

 Justin Doom, Bloomberg 
 March 20, 2015  |  4 Comments 

NEW YORK -- Solar Power Inc., a renewable-energy developer backed by China’s LDK Solar Co., is joining with Aqua Clean Energy to develop floating solar projects in the U.S. and Mexico.

The joint venture would put solar panels on platforms in reservoirs, quarry lakes, irrigation canals and tailing ponds, Shanghai-based Solar Power said in a statement Thursday. The joint venture is considering projects in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico.

In addition to the environmental benefits of clean power, the platforms will reduce water evaporation and slow algae growth, Solar Power said. The two companies have identified more than 50 megawatts of potential projects.

“This technology not only generates clean solar power energy, but also serves to conserve water in critically dry regions like the southwestern U.S. and California in particular, which is now experiencing its fourth consecutive year of drought,” Peng Xiaofeng, chairman of SPI, said in the statement.

Jacqueline Lilinshtein, a Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst, said the concept may have a limited market appeal and only a small impact on water conservation.

“Unless the technology offers significant savings in capital expenditures or increases output, it will likely remain a niche product,” Lilinshtein said Thursday in an e-mail. “Any water savings will be a drop in a bucket, especially in places such as California, which is enduring one of the worst droughts in its recent history.”

California’s reservoirs are less than half full after record-low rain and snowfall. Governor Jerry Brown is expected to unveil emergency legislation Thursday that’s intended to help manage the water shortage.

Solar installations in the U.S. this year may reach almost 9 gigawatts, while global demand is expected to rise 23 percent to more than 58 gigawatts, according to data compiled by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Last year, about 6.3 gigawatts were added in the U.S.    

Copyright 2015 Bloomberg

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2015/03/solar-power-inc-seeks-to-develop-floating-projects-in-us#comment-141064


A. G. Gelbert 
March 21, 2015 

The only upside I can see to this is its application to drought stricken areas that have a reservoir severely depleted. Less evaporation on the water surface will save the fish and the boating tourist dollars as well as making up for the lower hydropower energy output.

I wrote about it some time ago (July 10, 2014):

SNIPPET:

I've been thinking about that problem at Lake Mead...  Yeah, I KNOW this sounds like a (heaven forbid!) Technofix, but what do you think of this AID to somewhat reduce the gravity of the water-ain't-there problem. 

You see, I just read that about 1/12 of the water along that stretch of dams from Vegas to Phoenix EVAPORATES. Well, the MKings of this world don't want us to do the math there,  :icon_mrgreen: but it takes and ENORMEOUS amount of ENERGY to evaporate that much water. And yeah, the reservoirs are where MOST of that evaporation takes place!   


So, I posted this at Ecowatch on the article about the Colorado River problems with low water levels:

One twelfth evaporating is a LOT of water. Do you realize how much solar energy is going to waste in that process?  Our society has gotten really blind at obvious solutions.

What I mean is that IF you put SHADE over the reservoirs in the form of FLOATING SOLAR PANEL structures (the Japanese are putting them on the ocean surface, a far more corrosive environment, so a lake is not a problem!), you RADICALLY reduce the evaporation AND get a bunch of energy at the same time! More WATER and more ENERGY! What's not to like?

Yeah, I know. that's WAY too obvious! LOL! We used to do "obvious" in the USA. What happened? 
 
Sure some boater will complain that he doesn't want to navigate around solar panels. So what!? 

People, we need to come together and win the Climate Victory or we will be very miserable or very dead!

http://ecowatch.com/2014/07/09/drought-drains-lake-mead-senator-segerblom/

http://www.doomsteaddiner.net/forum/index.php/topic,785.msg51058.html#msg51058

Agelbert NOTE: Tell me, WHAT other energy industry in the USA has a 43% INCREASE in energy output PER YEAR? What other industry increases that output percentage EVERY YEAR, as solar does?

WHY do Energy "Experts" like Gail Tverberg    and Nicole Foss  CONSISTENTLY DENY this OBVIOUS writing on the wall (see DEATH SENTENCE) for DIRTY ENERGY from fossil fuels and nuclear power?

Because they are BOUGHT AND PAID FOR LIARS! 

Nevertheless, when then renewable energy numbers are so overwhelming that these craven water carriers for dirty energy doubletalk can no longer push their pap without looking like world class math challenged morons, expect a "road to Damascus" style conversion and an effort to rewrite their own history claiming they were "supporting Renewable Energy all along".