Evaporation Rate Reduction in Water Bodies With Floating Solar Panels
The recording and presentation of the Technical Webinar of this project could be found here.
About the project
Floating solar panels offer a promising solution not only for renewable energy generation but also for mitigating water loss through evaporation in open water bodies. Studies have shown that the presence of floating solar panels can significantly reduce evaporation rates compared to uncovered water surfaces. The panels create a physical barrier that reduces direct exposure of the water surface to sunlight, thereby decreasing the energy available for evaporation. Additionally, the shading effect of the panels helps to moderate water temperatures, further inhibiting evaporation. This dual functionality makes floating solar panels an efficient means of reducing evaporation rates, preserving precious water resources, and enhancing the overall sustainability of water-energy systems.
This Energy mini-project was defined under the ENANDES project, implemented by the WMO in Chile, Colombia and Peru, to address an exact need of the energy sector in Chile to develop an implement a demonstration product in collaboration with the Diego Portales University (UDP) in Santiago, Meteorological Directorate (DMC) and Ministry of Energy of Chile, and the World Meteorological Organization. The final product is incorporated to the Energy Explorer of the Chilean Ministry of Energy.
Objective
Development of a technical tool to identify and quantify changes in the evaporation rate in hydraulic infrastructures with floating solar photovoltaic systems. This will allow a more precise estimation of the energy generation of hydropower by considering the water losses under evaporation. This will eventually lead to better management of water resources and will help the energy and agriculture sectors for a better planning of hydropower generation and crops cultivation, respectively.
Final product
- Click here to see the presentation on the operational tool by the Ministry of Energy of Chile.
- Click here to see the final operational product.
- Click here to see the scientific journal article of the developed and implemented product.
- Click on the link (https://solar.minenergia.cl/inicio), scroll down towards the end of the webpage to see evaporation tool.
- Seminar recording on water-energy nexus organized in Diego Portales University of Chile. Friday, 11, Oct, 2024: Seminario Agua & Energía: Desafíos, oportunidades y trabajo en territorios (youtube.com)
