Floating solar
Also called: Floatovoltaics · Topic: Energy Resources of India: Conventional and Non-conventional · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Floating solar means solar panels placed on floats on the water of a reservoir or lake, instead of on land. The panels turn sunlight into electricity in the usual way. They have two extra benefits. They save land, which is scarce and costly for large solar plants. They also shade the water, which cuts evaporation and saves water in the reservoir. Water bodies also often already have power lines nearby, for example at dams.
Example
Omkareshwar on the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh has a large floating solar project on the reservoir. NTPC's floating plant at Ramagundam in Telangana is another example.
Don't confuse with
- Solar park: a large group of solar plants on land. One example is Bhadla Solar Park in Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, at about 2,245 MW on some 5,700 ha. Floating solar is built on water instead.
- Pumped storage hydropower: also uses reservoirs, but it stores power by pumping water uphill. It does not generate solar power.
Related concepts
- Solar energy
- Bhadla Solar Park
- Khavda Renewable Energy Park
- PM-KUSUM
- PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana