Canberra floating solar

Solar farms require massive land in order for them to operate. But land continues to be at premium prices in Australia. With demand for electricity going up each year, it's time to look at other solutions. That's where floating solar farms come in. Because they “float,” they can take up available water space, such as on dams and lakes.

But Australia has several available areas where floating solar can be installed. Instead of taking up valuable land space, PV energy systems can be set up on the surface of the water. These systems do not require construction that takes place on land.

Floating solar, also known as floating photovoltaic (FPV) or floating solar farms, involves the installation of solar panels on water bodies such as lakes, reservoirs, and even offshore waters. The concept is not entirely new, as early experiments with floating solar date back to the 1970s.

Australia's first large-scale solar farm to be co-located with wind turbines will be built near Canberra, in a development that promises more reliable, cheaper renewable energy.

Andrew Blakers, Australian National University and David Firnando Silalahi, Australian National University Vast arrays of solar panels floating on calm seas near the Equator could provide effectively unlimited solar energy to densely populated countries in Southeast Asia and West Africa.

Despite some challenges, such as salt corrosion and marine fouling, the study predicts that offshore floating solar panels will play a vital role in the solar energy mix for countries with access to calm equatorial seas.