There are positives and negatives to putting panels in fields and on hills or mountain sides. Aside from generating energy, the greatest positive is that they give added protection to certain wildlife by creating a new type of biome. The negative is they are a complete eyesore!
Ooh, that’s a cool idea! I know some reservoirs etc already have covers put over them to reduce evaporation, but usually it’s just some kind rubber or plastic covering right? A double whammy of solar sheets preventing evaporation AND generating their own electric would be great
I am not sure why there has to be one technology that's the "future" of clean energy. There are so many different techs which could lend themselves towards a solution, depending on location and need. Solar and wind, geothermal and wave, tidal and microhydro... they're all potentially viable.
I think we'll have to intelligently utilize and overlap multiple methods everywhere to generate and consume energy wisely and safely. As it is, we're wasting time, resources, and opportunities by letting big oil, nuclear, and big money stalling tactics divide and distract us all. Consumer demand for reliable longer lasting renewables is growing, and our collective leverage grows with it.
@Seek The Truth all gods are one God and he is the god of mankind. kind men and honest man. Those who live with morals and Laws should surely be in heaven. I pray God bless
I see lots of irrigation canals that could have solar panels as a cover, not only producing energy but cutting back on the water evaporating. Ditto reservoirs.
Really good initiative! A big issue with dams is the water lost to evaporation and this will help reduce that too while transforming sunlight into electric power. Great initiative and good reporting too!
@Brian Waas 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 That post of yours has to be in the running for most amusing posts ever. So, you claim that marine solar farms are going to evaporate the lakes on which they float. And then you claim land based solar farms are going to incinerate any small animal in the vicinity. Now, either you have a splendidly tongue in cheek imagination, or, you have deliberately erased everything you learned about school level science from your brain. I couldn't care less which but you're wasted on these comments channels ... you should be writing material for stand ups or being part of the script writing team for a comedy show. Seriously.
@Brian Waas All is now clear, from that drivel I sense you attended some sort of special needs/remedial school. Your teachers might well have strived to teach you something ... sadly they failed.
Yes the video actually mentioned that. These panels are better for marine life as they help prevent algal blooms. They also seem to be providing water birds with a bit of safe habitat too, cleaning robot notwithstanding.
The water based solar panels will have some impact on the flora and fauna around and underneath it that should be studied. I hope these manmade structures can be tweaked to the benefit of all.
Sweetheart, the ocean is incredibly huge, larger than you can even imagine. There are spots in the ocean completely void of life. Believe it or not, this will work & the eco system will thrive
@@aurorajudith-ramirez7389 The world has already left you behind, barbie. Current technology has repeatedly disproven your old outdated silly notions. There is indeed life in many of those areas you call “devoid of life”. Meanwhile, the rest of us can discern the chasm of difference between the truly knowledgeable and the desperate for attention blowhard. That's why no one will ever take you seriously.
@@aurorajudith-ramirez7389 Judith, that sounded incredibly condescending....now don't worry your pretty little head and go and make me a cup of tea. There's a good girl...
Certainly worth looking into but it may actually be a benefit, we just dont know. Similar concerns raised in Oz re potential problems of solar farms on sheep grazing land. Turned out that it was a huge benefit, increasing wool/meat production by about 20% plus getting the renewable power as well.
Setting aside the topic of the video, I just want to add that this is my 1st time seeing a field reporter who is visibly disabled. I've never seen anything like that before and I'm pleasantly surprised. I would like to see more of this!
I think this is a great idea I especially like the sun tracker panels. They should be mandatory at every single damn in the world.🙏🙏🙏 it’s a perfect marriage with the power station
*dam ... _a barrier to obstruct the flow of water, especially one of earth, masonry, etc., built across a stream or river._ damn ... _to declare (something) to be bad, unfit, invalid, or illegal; to condemn as a failure; used as an expletive to express anger, annoyance, disgust, etc._
@@mintheman7 good to know I was thinking of getting some for my home. We have an incentive by the government $5000 for free and you can borrow $40,000 but I’m thinking when energy also I should incorporate?
This seems to be en excellent combination. It completely eliminates the need for storage batteries to deal with the variable and intermittent nature of the panels output because the production from the dam can be easily adjusted to compensate. The solar panels output is 5 megawatts, which is less than one percent of the dams 518 megawatts, and even if the solar array is increased in size to the projected 75 megawatts the dams generating station will still be easily capable of compensating for the panels variable output. The panels will be more efficient because the water keeps them cooler, evaporation from the reservoir is reduced by the shading of the water, the cooler water and shade provided may prove surprisingly beneficial for aquatic life, and the individual panels can remain at a fixed angle with the entire array rotating to follow the sun.
In places where the landscape and water/wind/solar condition are all just right, it makes sense to have large water storage schemes. qv the world's largest e-storage scheme: ua-cam.com/video/W-9-zi4ImAI/v-deo.html
There are several ways to store solar energy. Once you turn it into electricity you can pump the water back up into the reservoir if you want. Not very efficient though. You can heat water and store hot water music for energy healing excetera. Solar energy can be stored in the ground in rocks and water tank. It's all unconventional at this point and it's all being tested, and it seems to be the definite path to save the environment of our planet.
@@edwardroche2480 until our respective govts. subsidize and make readily available carbon-negative or neutral energy sources thereby make them commercially attractive, and make it expensive to use fossil fuels and it's availability scarce, people will take the path of least resistance, ie. use the carrot & stick approach to become carbon negative rapidly.
@Seek The Truth bro, you are flogging a dead horse. You should use the internet and what little power of logical reasoning and rational thinking that is remaining in you after being brainwashed since childhood to find out the great lie called islam, a politico-criminal organisation masquerading as a religion.
1:17 "With a price tag of €6M, the solution isn't cheap" What? How cheaper do you except it to be? If it really powers 1,500 homes, that's €4k per home; Or 2~3 years worth of heating oil for example. Sounds like a bargain.
There is another downside as well. You want your panels to be about 30-40 degrees to the horizontal for maximum radiation in the UK ,depending on the season. Your revenue from the project is a factor of cos theta where theta is the mismatch in alignment. I suggest we go looking for a south facing hill of about 30-40 degrees. After all it would be too steep to grow crops on. You get more cash than sheep farming per acre.
I've always wondered why solar panels aren't placed above motorways and railroads. seems like a lot of free space and it could power the trains, service stations and charging points in addition to supplying the grid and keeping some adverse weather off the roads
Hmm ... the money has to come from somewhere in the upfront costs. Perhaps you have not quite understood that cost is immaterial when it comes to reducing the rate of "global" temperature rise. If we experience the global ice melting then we'll see coastal regions disappearing. Sort of becoming the new littoral regions. Cost doesn't really come into it.
@@TheTruth-yq2jb Hmm ... why not re-read your post and then reflect on what you typed. See if you can detect the one huge glaring flaw in your argument.
One issue: having solar panels "float" seems like a maintenance nightmare. The very selling point for solar panels is how they can simply be put down and let be and generate. But what about the constant movement of "waves" ? this will wear down things like cables, joints, connections and all that just by the very fact it is under constant motion.
Try not to over think these things. Just leave it all up to the experts. They are conducting R&D all the time. And of course this "free" energy could be used to generate green hydrogen.
Not in England the lack of Sewage treatment and amount of Raw Sewage will overcome the efficiency of the cells, also the Sewage is now so intense it is vaporising and going airborne. Nanny's Marmalade on toast comes at a horrible price.
Floating panels could operate cooler which also improves efficiency. If it also reduced evaporation, this could conserve stored water also. In the U.S. most of our reservoirs are used for recreation also, except the immediate area behind the dam which could be used for floating solar.
I prefer nuclear and hydropower. But solar operated together with a hydropower plant as a water-saver technology makes sense -- that is to say, they shouldn't sell the two sources of electricity separately, and the combined system power shouldn't exceed the power of the hydropower alone.
@@jakel8627 Hi Jake. Saying it's what I prefer is a turn of phrase. Obviously I was expressing a political view, while also expressing some cautious support for this type of hybrid generation. Overall, my motivation for writing a comment was to ensure that the "renewables is the only path" narrative that the video promotes, isn't left uncontested. Now, what was your motivation for writing a reply?
@@eckligt Jake's comment was simply a rebuttal to your misguided use of “prefer” - _‘to set or hold before or above other persons or things in estimation; like better; choose rather than’._ As a consumer, you are given no _preferential choice_ in how the electricity you use is being generated. You get whatever the grid feeds you, from _whatever source_ creates it (unless of course you have your own means of generating your electrical demand yourself, enabling you to live “off grid”). Furthermore, stating you “prefer” something without providing a reasoned argument behind your ‘preference’ is not a “political view”, it is an emotional statement and as I’ve pointed out above, irrelevant to any _choice_ you might perceive you have in selecting a generating source to fulfil your electrical demand. As for one’s motivation in replying to a comment, it would seem pretty obvious to most by the content of the rebuttal, but clearly it isn’t so obvious to you.
I've had floating solar panels for over 25 years now. I live on a boat though. Mine just lay flat on the roof with a little space in between to keep them cool. Most of my panels just stay that way. Some of them I can tilt. I'm boat it is definitely cheaper you sure to keep the refrigerator freezer going and lights and a couple of pumps. Solar power is the only way into the future. I love your show. I want to build a pyramid both for practical anesthetic purposes. Solar panels on each side and you should never have to tilt it.
It's not a natural body of water mind, its artificial for the dam, and a lot of organism growth like algae can actually be quite toxic for the other organisms which this minimises
@@explorer47422 i understand the algae part and that is the only Environmental advantage i heard. but what about those other organisms that need the light for photosynthesis in that section where the panels are installed.
@@mulengadaka14 Technically no marine life would have ever existed in that area before the dam anyway, and the panels likely cover less than 1% of the surface. You can see how deep the lake is based on the height of the dam, the bottom of which very little light would reach anyway so there won't be any plants, and fish don't need to photosynthesise
Bird droppings don't wash off easily in one pass. Solar panels anywhere will require regular cleaning - remote control solar spot bots will become normal household and industrial appliances.
The issue is, countries will just build and build them. This could mean life and death for aquatic life that need to come up for air. Less ability for birds and other animals that rely on targeting a pray from out of the water and so on. These should have all of that in mind and be built in conjunction with it. Put them on ships already trailing the ocean. Put them on buildings with free space externally roof and walls. Soo many options
Unless there is a secondary benefit, like keeping the water cool or preventing evaporation, I can't see any justification for the added complexity and expense. Powering the entire planet with solar would require an absurdly small fraction of land area, a large portion of which can be almost entirely rooftops, other dual purpose land, and barren or otherwise unused land.
I think the evaporation benefit is underplayed, look at the reservoirs in California which are covered in plastic balls to stop evaporation, imagine if they were covered in solar panels instead.
I do agree there's plenty of rooftops available and a decentralised solar production is far better. This one might be more complex/expensive to install but in the other hand it's using the grid infrastructure already created for the dam. Also, I think Alqueva has hydro pumping storage, so theoretically they can use solar to pump water upstream during the day (storage) and use it generate electricity during the night.
@@marcustrevor1883 Yes, I could see this making sense on reservoirs. Though I would still wonder is cost of similar number of panels on land plus the plastic balls on top of the reservoir might still be cheaper.
Mybe dont put it that close to the dam. Also why is it so thick space out that solar a little more your blocking out the sun for the plants underwater. Yes its small but if it gets expanded on thats way to close 5 to 6 feet apart for plants underneath not 8 inches to a foot apart like these that will choke out the sunlight for the plants. Also your blue green algae is mostly from excessive fertilizer from farm runoff also boats mixing soil from moving around so fast its making those algae blooms worse.
imo the main advantage is solar panels do not compete with plants for sunlight, when placed in green areas, and do not add extra heat, as they otherwise do when placed in deserts, as the water is black too (sand reflects a lot of sunlight, panels not)
Not a new idea at all. Places with limited land like Japan have been doing it for ages. Obviously it isn't 'the future' but one way that solar panels will be installed. 'The future' is combined wind and solar in many different locations, as well as various other renewable sources such as hydro. For homes, the future is rooftop solar wherever possible as that reduces transmission requirements, but there will always be a need for some solar farms for industry and cities.
After spending some time as a deckhand on commercial fishing boats, I wish I would have had a power-washing Roomba to scrub fish bones transmogrified by seagulls into sun-dried cement
Every home and business building needs to have solar panels Every large big box store parking lot can install a huge solar canopy with electric vehicle chargers. Wind and solar energy combined with battery storage are safer, cleaner and cheaper than fossil fuels or nuclear energy.
Wind and solar energy is definitely safer, cleaner and cheaper than fossil fuels. Regarding nuclear power, it is not so clear. There is a wide range of generation costs and co2 emissions per kwh of electricity when it comes to nuclear. An objective view is essential to finding the best way to move forward. We have to have an open mind about alternatives. Fossil fuels are destroying the environment and harming/killing plant and animal life. That is fact. Moving away from those destructive energy sources has top priority. And using solar and wind that are environmentally friendly is a good idea to lessen our negative impact on the world. But nuclear energy may also play an important role in our transition.
This is correct. 99.999% of vehicles on the roads use internal combustion engines and burn fossil fuels...fact. Also the same for aeroplanes. and ships, heating etc... So one can say we burn fossil fuels for 100% of everything today and little will change over the coming decades. It is obvious that the quickest way to deal with this, is and cut down the use of fossil fuels is simply to cut down to use of motor vehicles.....But the opposite is happening as most people now work in cities and because the cost of living and housing in cities is growing exponentially as is the number of people living there, more and more people use more and more fossil fuels to travel back and forth to work as they live further and further away from the centres. The roads have never been busier. The use of all forms of transport using fossil fuels have never been higher and it will increase unless drastic action is taken, The demand for Energy (which uses fossil fuels) rises exponentially.... In reality therfore, there is no action being taken by any governments other than encouraging the use of EVs which as we know is driven by money and profit and nothing else. (same with heat pumps, solar energy and wind turbines). If climate change is real, then there is nothing being done about it, other than seeing it as a way of making money and profit..... That is the reality...
One thing, apart from what was mentioned in the video, I can tell you is that they seem to attract marine life below them. But this is just anecdotal evidence from me and no study
I should imagine that a solar panel is nothing more to marine life than a dark cloud (there will be some reflection and refraction around the edges and through gaps between panels). Since it floats it can be moved anyway, and marine life that can do the moving for itself will go and find a sunnier spot to swim if it wants. In addition, given how very hot last summer was in Europe, I wouldn't be surprised if that little extra shade wasn't a 'relief' rather than a hindrance to marine life.
The solar panels should provide a net cooling of the reservoir because they convert a percentage of the solar insolation into electricity rather than the insolation otherwise heating the water. The panels could also act as radiators to cool the water at night. The reservoir could then be a district cooling resource, for example Lake Mead which supplies Las Vegas.
That depends on whether or not their albedo is higher or lower than the water itself. They convert very little of the energy that they receive into electricity.
@@zettaiengineer4202 Regardless, floating solar panel installations are expensive, they only produce energy during the day and there aren't many area's where their installation makes sense. Nuclear is a far better option.
Sure, putting all those plastic floats in water, what could go wrong, its not like plastic leaches PFAS and other chemicals into the water. 🤷♀️ And what happens to the flora and fauna under those panels, where sunlight is now blocked.
Doesn’t matter in a manmade reservoir. Output is ok if it’s flat, especially at equatorial inclinations. it only gets better with more tilting in the north.
@pavelsychra. It would be good to install on roof of all new homes, if initial prices weren't so high. Roof specifications/ calculations would have to alter to allow for additional weight of panels. I'm sure there would be some potential disadvantages, but worthy of some serious thought.
People just now are realizing solar can help but isn't the answer. Especially at the higher latitudes. You must use what is appropriate for the region.
Personally I don't think this is the way to go. The maintenance costs, difficulty of access and local environmental damage may outweigh any benefits of placing a solar panel on water instead of land
Interesting, I gather they would not block light into the ocean? If that's the case it would not effect sea life, or change currents in the ocean (if there is a large enough area to cool water underneath it). To say this is a better option is literally just the out of site out of mind type ideas. It would take more resources to repair, weather could effect them more drastically, and they would have to be tethered to something to not drift along sea currents. I'm not saying don't consider it, but don't please don't think that this idea is like better than other ideas. There are benefits, and drawbacks. Most of these will be unforeseen stuff regarding our ocean ecosystems. Is it clean energy if it say causes the coral to stop producing? Or change the migration of all sea life under it? Or cause current changes that effect regions of the planet in the worst case scenarios. Yes it is an option, but I think messing with the climate control for the planet might be in long term probably unwise? We are constantly placing new stuff in without actually testing the impact of things. Maybe we should test that and get some idea of what long term effects of this might be?
Since there are reasonably 'few' floating solar farms around the world right now, you could say these are all test models to see long term effects. However, considering where this 'particular' solar farm is situated - at the head of a dam - that's quite probably an artificially flooded area anyway, and so it's not likely there is an ancient, well-established ecosystem underneath that environmentalists would be too concerned about.
Better than putting it on a untouched greenfield site
Yeh definitely we need those to build more unaffordable housing 👍
@@seanyd5698 I suppose it’s better than that
Greenfield site? Humans are destroying nature in every form.
Put it on all roofs and make noise barriers at the side of the road. NOT in nature!
@@redwhite_040 a field that hasn’t been built on
I’m watching them build them as I speak
There are positives and negatives to putting panels in fields and on hills or mountain sides. Aside from generating energy, the greatest positive is that they give added protection to certain wildlife by creating a new type of biome. The negative is they are a complete eyesore!
Done on a mass scale, they could also help prevent a lot of evaporation on valuable reservoirs.
Ooh, that’s a cool idea! I know some reservoirs etc already have covers put over them to reduce evaporation, but usually it’s just some kind rubber or plastic covering right? A double whammy of solar sheets preventing evaporation AND generating their own electric would be great
Now, I've always argued that the problem of these solar panels is how they'd float and stay above water when it came to waves, but that is genius.
india did a similar project on top of canals, to reduce evaporation loss and provide electricity to nearby villages
The floats will be made of plastic and their degradation will contribute to the microplastics problem.
The water will rot.
I am not sure why there has to be one technology that's the "future" of clean energy. There are so many different techs which could lend themselves towards a solution, depending on location and need. Solar and wind, geothermal and wave, tidal and microhydro... they're all potentially viable.
I think we'll have to intelligently utilize and overlap multiple methods everywhere to generate and consume energy wisely and safely. As it is, we're wasting time, resources, and opportunities by letting big oil, nuclear, and big money stalling tactics divide and distract us all. Consumer demand for reliable longer lasting renewables is growing, and our collective leverage grows with it.
@Seek The Truth all gods are one God and he is the god of mankind. kind men and honest man. Those who live with morals and Laws should surely be in heaven. I pray God bless
Using the idea/term “the future of…” makes for a more compelling lede.
@Dr. Lev Luminesk if you have geothermal no need for nuclear
@Dr. Lev Luminesk it only makes sense if you need large amounts of plutonium for... Whatever important reason.
This sort of stuff is a testament to the ingenuity of mankind. Very inspiring.
I see lots of irrigation canals that could have solar panels as a cover, not only producing energy but cutting back on the water evaporating. Ditto reservoirs.
Really good initiative! A big issue with dams is the water lost to evaporation and this will help reduce that too while transforming sunlight into electric power.
Great initiative and good reporting too!
For sure! I was thinking about adding them to places like California’s canal system to reduce evaporation there as well.
@Brian Waas
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
That post of yours has to be in the running for most amusing posts ever.
So, you claim that marine solar farms are going to evaporate the lakes on which they float.
And then you claim land based solar farms are going to incinerate any small animal in the vicinity.
Now, either you have a splendidly tongue in cheek imagination, or, you have deliberately erased everything you learned about school level science from your brain.
I couldn't care less which but you're wasted on these comments channels ... you should be writing material for stand ups or being part of the script writing team for a comedy show.
Seriously.
@Brian Waas
I won't be reading all that nonsense.
Start again and do a precis.
@Brian Waas
Did you attend school?
@Brian Waas
All is now clear, from that drivel I sense you attended some sort of special needs/remedial school.
Your teachers might well have strived to teach you something ... sadly they failed.
What about the surface under the water? Marine life for sure is going to be impacted
Yes the video actually mentioned that. These panels are better for marine life as they help prevent algal blooms. They also seem to be providing water birds with a bit of safe habitat too, cleaning robot notwithstanding.
Humans don't care, humans are selfish.
This is a new way for a "green image", oh we have solar panels, but are destroying nature around us.
Remember, this is a dam. Before the dam was there, there wasn't any (relevant) marine life.
The water based solar panels will have some impact on the flora and fauna around and underneath it that should be studied. I hope these manmade structures can be tweaked to the benefit of all.
Sweetheart, the ocean is incredibly huge, larger than you can even imagine. There are spots in the ocean completely void of life. Believe it or not, this will work & the eco system will thrive
@@aurorajudith-ramirez7389 The world has already left you behind, barbie. Current technology has repeatedly disproven your old outdated silly notions. There is indeed life in many of those areas you call “devoid of life”. Meanwhile, the rest of us can discern the chasm of difference between the truly knowledgeable and the desperate for attention blowhard. That's why no one will ever take you seriously.
@@aurorajudith-ramirez7389 Judith, that sounded incredibly condescending....now don't worry your pretty little head and go and make me a cup of tea. There's a good girl...
Certainly worth looking into but it may actually be a benefit, we just dont know. Similar concerns raised in Oz re potential problems of solar farms on sheep grazing land. Turned out that it was a huge benefit, increasing wool/meat production by about 20% plus getting the renewable power as well.
how it affect underwater life with blocked sunlight?
it reduces harmful blooms of algae which is destructive to more benign water life
It is a fraction of the water surface area..and it doesn't block 100% of the light
@@CommercialVehicle Solar panels one totally opaque
Cooling solar panels by floating them on fresh water substantially extends the productive lifespan.
And increases their output.
Thanks, didn't know that.
I was wondering what's the point in putting them on water
Setting aside the topic of the video, I just want to add that this is my 1st time seeing a field reporter who is visibly disabled. I've never seen anything like that before and I'm pleasantly surprised. I would like to see more of this!
With your wording, it could go both ways 😂
I think this is a great idea I especially like the sun tracker panels. They should be mandatory at every single damn in the world.🙏🙏🙏 it’s a perfect marriage with the power station
*dam ... _a barrier to obstruct the flow of water, especially one of earth, masonry, etc., built across a stream or river._
damn ... _to declare (something) to be bad, unfit, invalid, or illegal; to condemn as a failure; used as an expletive to express anger, annoyance, disgust, etc._
Tracking panels usually cost 2x-3x and require more maintenance, not worth it for 1/3 generation gain unless space is an issue
@@mintheman7 good to know I was thinking of getting some for my home. We have an incentive by the government $5000 for free and you can borrow $40,000 but I’m thinking when energy also I should incorporate?
This seems to be en excellent combination. It completely eliminates the need for storage batteries to deal with the variable and intermittent nature of the panels output because the production from the dam can be easily adjusted to compensate. The solar panels output is 5 megawatts, which is less than one percent of the dams 518 megawatts, and even if the solar array is increased in size to the projected 75 megawatts the dams generating station will still be easily capable of compensating for the panels variable output. The panels will be more efficient because the water keeps them cooler, evaporation from the reservoir is reduced by the shading of the water, the cooler water and shade provided may prove surprisingly beneficial for aquatic life, and the individual panels can remain at a fixed angle with the entire array rotating to follow the sun.
In places where the landscape and water/wind/solar condition are all just right, it makes sense to have large water storage schemes. qv the world's largest e-storage scheme: ua-cam.com/video/W-9-zi4ImAI/v-deo.html
Its pure underrared genius
There are several ways to store solar energy. Once you turn it into electricity you can pump the water back up into the reservoir if you want. Not very efficient though. You can heat water and store hot water music for energy healing excetera. Solar energy can be stored in the ground in rocks and water tank. It's all unconventional at this point and it's all being tested, and it seems to be the definite path to save the environment of our planet.
@@edwardroche2480 until our respective govts. subsidize and make readily available carbon-negative or neutral energy sources thereby make them commercially attractive, and make it expensive to use fossil fuels and it's availability scarce, people will take the path of least resistance, ie. use the carrot & stick approach to become carbon negative rapidly.
@Seek The Truth bro, you are flogging a dead horse. You should use the internet and what little power of logical reasoning and rational thinking that is remaining in you after being brainwashed since childhood to find out the great lie called islam, a politico-criminal organisation masquerading as a religion.
Anyone who complains life is unfair to them should see this man at work and never ever complain.
1:17 "With a price tag of €6M, the solution isn't cheap"
What? How cheaper do you except it to be? If it really powers 1,500 homes, that's €4k per home; Or 2~3 years worth of heating oil for example.
Sounds like a bargain.
There is another downside as well. You want your panels to be about 30-40 degrees to the horizontal for maximum radiation in the UK ,depending on the season. Your revenue from the project is a factor of cos theta where theta is the mismatch in alignment. I suggest we go looking for a south facing hill of about 30-40 degrees. After all it would be too steep to grow crops on. You get more cash than sheep farming per acre.
Angle and rotation is shown for a Netherlands project at the end of the video
@@thomasgade226 You need an incline. Think about it.
@@Andrew-rc3vh those NL panels are mounted at the optimal angle of 30 degrees. They even rotate to follow the sun during the day
@@Andrew-rc3vh @4:30
@@thomasgade226 They looked flat on the water to me.
floating energy prices, higher than any sea level, are what bbc will give you for future
I've always wondered why solar panels aren't placed above motorways and railroads. seems like a lot of free space and it could power the trains, service stations and charging points in addition to supplying the grid and keeping some adverse weather off the roads
This should be done on Lake Mead asap
Why does the USA always think it deserves ASAP status. You can wait, the rest of the world is overtaking you faster than you think.
cool(ing) idea! 💚
Clean energy? That's a contradiction in terms... especially when the profits take your dignity and food off your table. No more
Should have mentioned the concerns about blocking out all of the light underneath, panels might potentially need to be spaced out more in the future.
They did not mention how much electric rates increased with all this "free" energy
Hmm ... the money has to come from somewhere in the upfront costs.
Perhaps you have not quite understood that cost is immaterial when it comes to reducing the rate of "global" temperature rise.
If we experience the global ice melting then we'll see coastal regions disappearing. Sort of becoming the new littoral regions.
Cost doesn't really come into it.
@@t1n4444 The ice caps are going away. This has happened 17 times in earths history that we can identify, so why spend money fighting the inevitable?
@@TheTruth-yq2jb
Hmm ... why not re-read your post and then reflect on what you typed.
See if you can detect the one huge glaring flaw in your argument.
One issue: having solar panels "float" seems like a maintenance nightmare. The very selling point for solar panels is how they can simply be put down and let be and generate. But what about the constant movement of "waves" ? this will wear down things like cables, joints, connections and all that just by the very fact it is under constant motion.
Try not to over think these things.
Just leave it all up to the experts.
They are conducting R&D all the time.
And of course this "free" energy could be used to generate green hydrogen.
They're also extremely easily damaged by strong winds. You can even see examples of this in aerial photos of some installations.
@@t1n4444 There's nothing free about solar panels, especially when you consider the environmental damage that their production causes.
@@PistonAvatarGuy
Damage to panels.
Entirely possible. Where are these images you claim to have seen?
@@PistonAvatarGuy
Again ... where's all this evidence of environmental damage?
Evidence?
RENEWABLE IS THE WAY
Everything is renewable as everything came from the earth and stays on the earth
@@GetItRightUpYees fossil fuels once burnt, it ends
@@organicfarm5524es and the smoke goes up then rains back down
@@GetItRightUpYees but that doesn't convert back into fossil fuel hydrocarbons
@@organicfarm5524wrong
Are there some adverse affects to preventing the sunlight from hitting the water?
Not really, reduced algae growth that may affect dissolved O2 if marine life live in the dam?
Thanks
They are the future of stopping water evaporating in intense heat.
What intense heat might this be in the UK?
Solar tracking of floating installation seems easier that land based.
It will become the standard to save water from evaporation and it will help the cooling of solar panels !
Solar farms located on the surface of reservoirs also offer other advantages. Evaporation from the reservoir is reduced and fish also love the shade.
@bettyswallocks... Very good points. My fish love shade & increased temperatures under a large stone slab. Nice to see you still posting.👍👍👍
(Increased temperatures during winter)...
Defo in favour of floating solar panel platforms provided there’s no negative impact on marine life.
Not in England the lack of Sewage treatment and amount of Raw Sewage will overcome the efficiency of the cells, also the Sewage is now so intense it is vaporising and going airborne. Nanny's Marmalade on toast comes at a horrible price.
Floating panels could operate cooler which also improves efficiency. If it also reduced evaporation, this could conserve stored water also. In the U.S. most of our reservoirs are used for recreation also, except the immediate area behind the dam which could be used for floating solar.
Molesey in Surrey has one of the largest floating solar farm in the EU (up untill this one) it’s on the Queen Elizabeth II reservoir
Narrator really have a pleasant voice to listen to.
Company name ?
Bangladesh should take step like this....
I prefer nuclear and hydropower. But solar operated together with a hydropower plant as a water-saver technology makes sense -- that is to say, they shouldn't sell the two sources of electricity separately, and the combined system power shouldn't exceed the power of the hydropower alone.
Is what you prefer relevant? These aren't flavours of ice cream
@@jakel8627 Hi Jake. Saying it's what I prefer is a turn of phrase. Obviously I was expressing a political view, while also expressing some cautious support for this type of hybrid generation. Overall, my motivation for writing a comment was to ensure that the "renewables is the only path" narrative that the video promotes, isn't left uncontested. Now, what was your motivation for writing a reply?
@@eckligt Jake's comment was simply a rebuttal to your misguided use of “prefer” - _‘to set or hold before or above other persons or things in estimation; like better; choose rather than’._
As a consumer, you are given no _preferential choice_ in how the electricity you use is being generated. You get whatever the grid feeds you, from _whatever source_ creates it (unless of course you have your own means of generating your electrical demand yourself, enabling you to live “off grid”).
Furthermore, stating you “prefer” something without providing a reasoned argument behind your ‘preference’ is not a “political view”, it is an emotional statement and as I’ve pointed out above, irrelevant to any _choice_ you might perceive you have in selecting a generating source to fulfil your electrical demand.
As for one’s motivation in replying to a comment, it would seem pretty obvious to most by the content of the rebuttal, but clearly it isn’t so obvious to you.
Nuclear is not a good idea for the long term future. It’s too dangerous
Oil, gas and coal are better.
Impressive Innovation
Thanks អរគុណ❤
I like this guy👍thank you
might aswell combine it with the technology that uses the enrrgy of waves
Wind waves solar makes no difference to us,££££££
its a resevoir, there are no tides
6million euros to power a quarter of the country for a decade? i'd say that's a pretty good deal.
I've had floating solar panels for over 25 years now. I live on a boat though. Mine just lay flat on the roof with a little space in between to keep them cool. Most of my panels just stay that way. Some of them I can tilt. I'm boat it is definitely cheaper you sure to keep the refrigerator freezer going and lights and a couple of pumps. Solar power is the only way into the future. I love your show. I want to build a pyramid both for practical anesthetic purposes. Solar panels on each side and you should never have to tilt it.
@edwardroche. Brilliant (pyramid) idea, providing you don't go under some very low british canal bridges.😛
Wow it's very Exccelent idea😮
What about the Organisms in the water wont that reduce the amount of light penetrating in that section?
Precisely.
It's not a natural body of water mind, its artificial for the dam, and a lot of organism growth like algae can actually be quite toxic for the other organisms which this minimises
look at the size of the resevoir lol
@@explorer47422 i understand the algae part and that is the only Environmental advantage i heard. but what about those other organisms that need the light for photosynthesis in that section where the panels are installed.
@@mulengadaka14 Technically no marine life would have ever existed in that area before the dam anyway, and the panels likely cover less than 1% of the surface. You can see how deep the lake is based on the height of the dam, the bottom of which very little light would reach anyway so there won't be any plants, and fish don't need to photosynthesise
Broadscale installation of these systems would be tricky during extreme droughts when the dam nearly runs dry affecting where the panels point etc
Bird droppings don't wash off easily in one pass. Solar panels anywhere will require regular cleaning - remote control solar spot bots will become normal household and industrial appliances.
Thailand has this as well
The upcoming dream project
Great eco friendly energy source to avoid Russia
The issue is, countries will just build and build them. This could mean life and death for aquatic life that need to come up for air. Less ability for birds and other animals that rely on targeting a pray from out of the water and so on. These should have all of that in mind and be built in conjunction with it. Put them on ships already trailing the ocean. Put them on buildings with free space externally roof and walls. Soo many options
That’s an amazing idea 👍
Unless there is a secondary benefit, like keeping the water cool or preventing evaporation, I can't see any justification for the added complexity and expense. Powering the entire planet with solar would require an absurdly small fraction of land area, a large portion of which can be almost entirely rooftops, other dual purpose land, and barren or otherwise unused land.
I think the evaporation benefit is underplayed, look at the reservoirs in California which are covered in plastic balls to stop evaporation, imagine if they were covered in solar panels instead.
I do agree there's plenty of rooftops available and a decentralised solar production is far better.
This one might be more complex/expensive to install but in the other hand it's using the grid infrastructure already created for the dam.
Also, I think Alqueva has hydro pumping storage, so theoretically they can use solar to pump water upstream during the day (storage) and use it generate electricity during the night.
I've always viewed solar as one of several "liberation technologies" - small-scale (
@@marcustrevor1883 Yes, I could see this making sense on reservoirs. Though I would still wonder is cost of similar number of panels on land plus the plastic balls on top of the reservoir might still be cheaper.
@@MelioraCogito Long term, solar & battery components are virtually 100% recyclable. No major hurdles there.
Mybe dont put it that close to the dam.
Also why is it so thick space out that solar a little more your blocking out the sun for the plants underwater.
Yes its small but if it gets expanded on thats way to close 5 to 6 feet apart for plants underneath not 8 inches to a foot apart like these that will choke out the sunlight for the plants.
Also your blue green algae is mostly from excessive fertilizer from farm runoff also boats mixing soil from moving around so fast its making those algae blooms worse.
imo the main advantage is solar panels do not compete with plants for sunlight, when placed in green areas, and do not add extra heat, as they otherwise do when placed in deserts, as the water is black too (sand reflects a lot of sunlight, panels not)
Look here and not over there!
Much better then using farm land
Not a new idea at all. Places with limited land like Japan have been doing it for ages. Obviously it isn't 'the future' but one way that solar panels will be installed. 'The future' is combined wind and solar in many different locations, as well as various other renewable sources such as hydro. For homes, the future is rooftop solar wherever possible as that reduces transmission requirements, but there will always be a need for some solar farms for industry and cities.
3:48 when he tried to hand it to him 😣
so how much power does it generate!!!! Can we actual units please. my home array is not measured in 'homes'.
It has no use in north Europe with dark gray cool weather 😱
It actually does :)
One natural calamity finishes everything
I was like where are you pointing to 😅
Kudos mate ❤️🫰✌️
I thought from the thumbnail that this was a story of an algae farm for biofuel.
After spending some time as a deckhand on commercial fishing boats, I wish I would have had a power-washing Roomba to scrub fish bones transmogrified by seagulls into sun-dried cement
Great report
Every home and business building needs to have solar panels
Every large big box store parking lot can install a huge solar canopy with electric vehicle chargers.
Wind and solar energy combined with battery storage are safer, cleaner and cheaper than fossil fuels or nuclear energy.
Cool story Skippy
Wind and solar energy is definitely safer, cleaner and cheaper than fossil fuels. Regarding nuclear power, it is not so clear. There is a wide range of generation costs and co2 emissions per kwh of electricity when it comes to nuclear. An objective view is essential to finding the best way to move forward. We have to have an open mind about alternatives. Fossil fuels are destroying the environment and harming/killing plant and animal life. That is fact. Moving away from those destructive energy sources has top priority. And using solar and wind that are environmentally friendly is a good idea to lessen our negative impact on the world. But nuclear energy may also play an important role in our transition.
@@l-dogtheman1685 how are you going to manufacture wind and solar products without fossil fuel?
No one thought, 30 years ago energy storage would be so difficult. Everyone thought nuclear fusion was going to be a given.
People were definitely smarter back then.
In many places energy produced is being used to pump back water released downstream by the turbines to the reservoir.
This is correct.
99.999% of vehicles on the roads use internal combustion engines and burn fossil fuels...fact.
Also the same for aeroplanes. and ships, heating etc...
So one can say we burn fossil fuels for 100% of everything today and little will change over the coming decades.
It is obvious that the quickest way to deal with this, is and cut down the use of fossil fuels is simply to cut down to use of motor vehicles.....But the opposite is happening as most people now work in cities and because the cost of living and housing in cities is growing exponentially as is the number of people living there, more and more people use more and more fossil fuels to travel back and forth to work as they live further and further away from the centres.
The roads have never been busier.
The use of all forms of transport using fossil fuels have never been higher and it will increase unless drastic action is taken,
The demand for Energy (which uses fossil fuels) rises exponentially....
In reality therfore, there is no action being taken by any governments other than encouraging the use of EVs which as we know is driven by money and profit and nothing else. (same with heat pumps, solar energy and wind turbines).
If climate change is real, then there is nothing being done about it, other than seeing it as a way of making money and profit.....
That is the reality...
Place gaps in between the solar panels to allow light through, so that you do not harm the wildlife beneath
Very cool!
This is going to be great for the environment. Especially when it will have to serve 15 billion people - Africa and Asia
If things carry on as they do our population won't ever reach 15 billion. Current estimates show it'll peak at ~11b
Have any studies been done to look at any negative effects on aquatic life from blocking the sunlight?
Seems to me, that would be a real problem.
There have been studies and solar is very bad for the marine life and a great little fire starter
listen: minute 2:28
@@GetItRightUpYees that’s just bollocks
One thing, apart from what was mentioned in the video, I can tell you is that they seem to attract marine life below them. But this is just anecdotal evidence from me and no study
I should imagine that a solar panel is nothing more to marine life than a dark cloud (there will be some reflection and refraction around the edges and through gaps between panels). Since it floats it can be moved anyway, and marine life that can do the moving for itself will go and find a sunnier spot to swim if it wants.
In addition, given how very hot last summer was in Europe, I wouldn't be surprised if that little extra shade wasn't a 'relief' rather than a hindrance to marine life.
Very nice.
The solar panels should provide a net cooling of the reservoir because they convert a percentage of the solar insolation into electricity rather than the insolation otherwise heating the water. The panels could also act as radiators to cool the water at night. The reservoir could then be a district cooling resource, for example Lake Mead which supplies Las Vegas.
That depends on whether or not their albedo is higher or lower than the water itself. They convert very little of the energy that they receive into electricity.
The albedo of water is low,
@@zettaiengineer4202 Regardless, floating solar panel installations are expensive, they only produce energy during the day and there aren't many area's where their installation makes sense. Nuclear is a far better option.
Not to mention the other possibility detrimental effects they could have
Cool!
Sure, putting all those plastic floats in water, what could go wrong, its not like plastic leaches PFAS and other chemicals into the water. 🤷♀️ And what happens to the flora and fauna under those panels, where sunlight is now blocked.
Well explained
Good idea. But. Will these cell Islands on the waters cause the water to heat up increasing
Algae?
Better than putting it on a roadway
This is 💯 clean energy
Wrong very wrong
ehhhhhhhh. Try again
This is trash 🗑
maybe after the solar panels are produced, but is it so clean to produce solar panels?
If only the materials used to construct solar panels were 100% renewable😢.
SI LO ESTOY PAGANDO POR QUE NUNCA DETIENEN A LOS CRIMINALES DENUNCIADOS.
???.
Is thinking about hydrogen home generator for each home going backwards or forward? I always wonder why we don't have them like an ac unit
Maybe we should have that over the ice caps to freeze back the ice caps
ActUaLLy... the white ice caps reflect a lot of the solar rays back into space, covering them in dark solar panels could have a net negative impact.
Is only having energy during the day the future of energy???
This guy could use a call of duty upgrade
This will have implications for saltwater biodiversity and temperatures under the floating solar pontoons.
It's not saltwater it's an artificial lake created by the dam
Yeah solving 1 problem while creating another problem.
You are worried about saltwater biodiversity in a fresh water artificial reservoir? What is wrong with you people now a days?
Are people obtuse? Why are the majority of comments on things like this always some person b*tching about something that makes no sense?
yep
What about any marine life that was underneath them? And as mentioned keeping them clean and poor power output due to poor angle are problems.
What about the life that used to be there before the dam was built, etc (?)
Doesn’t matter in a manmade reservoir.
Output is ok if it’s flat, especially at equatorial inclinations. it only gets better with more tilting in the north.
That's why marine biologists are brought in prior to building these projects.
Why are you asking us? Go ask them.
Wouldn't it be better to install them on the rooftops of those said homes?
@pavelsychra. It would be good to install on roof of all new homes, if initial prices weren't so high. Roof specifications/ calculations would have to alter to allow for additional weight of panels. I'm sure there would be some potential disadvantages, but worthy of some serious thought.
These panels are made of some terrible stuff...I wouldn't put them anywhere near water...have it leech into the ground...
Good video ..the presenter sounds like youtuber Paul lucas 👍🏴
People just now are realizing solar can help but isn't the answer. Especially at the higher latitudes. You must use what is appropriate for the region.
And we should not forget the fx of weather/climate either.
I think space-based solar panel is the future of clean energy
done the calculations have you? Dont think the cost and carbon of getting them up there is a problem?
@@richardyoung3074 .Solar panels in space still won't work at night.
@@andyhelliwell4955 Substantially long cables required.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Personally I don't think this is the way to go. The maintenance costs, difficulty of access and local environmental damage may outweigh any benefits of placing a solar panel on water instead of land
Winter ice is not a problem, right?
not in Portugal
Not in Portugal. Reservoirs behind dams don’t usually freeze over since the water is always moving.
Interesting, I gather they would not block light into the ocean? If that's the case it would not effect sea life, or change currents in the ocean (if there is a large enough area to cool water underneath it). To say this is a better option is literally just the out of site out of mind type ideas. It would take more resources to repair, weather could effect them more drastically, and they would have to be tethered to something to not drift along sea currents.
I'm not saying don't consider it, but don't please don't think that this idea is like better than other ideas. There are benefits, and drawbacks. Most of these will be unforeseen stuff regarding our ocean ecosystems. Is it clean energy if it say causes the coral to stop producing? Or change the migration of all sea life under it? Or cause current changes that effect regions of the planet in the worst case scenarios.
Yes it is an option, but I think messing with the climate control for the planet might be in long term probably unwise? We are constantly placing new stuff in without actually testing the impact of things. Maybe we should test that and get some idea of what long term effects of this might be?
The infrastructure stuff would be like candy for my brain. Can we see that information? Engineering is pretty interesting. I will look for more on it.
Since there are reasonably 'few' floating solar farms around the world right now, you could say these are all test models to see long term effects.
However, considering where this 'particular' solar farm is situated - at the head of a dam - that's quite probably an artificially flooded area anyway, and so it's not likely there is an ancient, well-established ecosystem underneath that environmentalists would be too concerned about.