Amusement Logic promotes the use of renewable energies in the architecture, design and construction projects entrusted to it. One of these energies is precisely photovoltaic energy and, within this, there is an option that is beginning to be explored: floating photovoltaic energy.
Floating photovoltaic installations consist of groups of solar panels mounted on structures that float on water, either in irrigation ponds or in reservoirs and marshes. This type of installation offers significant advantages over conventional (ground or roof-mounted) installations, namely:
- They free up land for other uses.
- They occupy surfaces without shadows that reduce the efficiency of the solar panels.
- They improve performance, as the panels are cooled by the thermal influence of the water.
- And they contribute to improved water quality by reducing algae blooms in the pond.
Recently, for a water park project in Africa, we designed a floating solar PV installation on the surface of a natural drainage pond, which was part of the infrastructure of the water treatment, recycling and reuse system. This floating solar PV installation will supply power to the aerators and the pumping unit for transferring the recycled water from the dechlorination pond to the main irrigation supply reservoir.
Our design considers a floating photovoltaic plant has an installed peak power of 30.6 kWp, consisting of 90 polycrystalline 340 Wp photovoltaic modules, a 3100Ah (C100) Opzs lead-acid battery system with an autonomy of 3 days, and a 5500 W solar inverter-charger. This will cover the annual demand of the water treatment system, making it a sustainable, efficient and autonomous system.
As we can see, in addition to the above advantages, these installations represent an opportunity for developing regions, where there are difficulties in accessing water and energy.
Images: Intergia
By Francisco Lozano, MEP Engineer at Amusement Logic’s Architectural Dept.
