- Floating solar PV plants can increase Africa hydropower generation capacity by as much as 50 per cent.
- These options could be more feasible than ground-mounted solar PV systems due to reduced grid-connection costs.
According to a new study, floating solar panels installed on the lakes formed by hydropower dams across Africa could boost energy production. Covering only 1 per cent of the surface areas of reservoirs with solar panels could increase electricity generated by dams by 50 per cent. According to the researchers of the study, floating solar could become valuable in the bid to expand power infrastructure in the continent, especially given the region’s current climate crisis and widespread energy poverty
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Hydropower constitutes about 17 per cent of Africa’s electricity mix, contributing as much as 90 per cent in Ethiopia, Mozambique and Zambia. The continent still has huge hydropower potentially with about 90 per cent of hydro resources undeveloped. While some see hydropower as the solution to Africa’s energy challenges, changes in climatic patterns will lead to droughts that would cause facilities to generate less energy in the future. Panels can be mounted on floating structures and plugged into existing electricity infrastructure.
Floating solar PV could be an alternative to expanding electricity production in regions with water scarcity and declining hydroelectric generation. During the rainy season, hydropower could complement intermittent solar power in these hybrid systems.
While floating solar plants are more expensive (20%-25%) than conventional solar plants, existing grid infrastructure in hydropower plants would save grid-connection costs making them more economically feasible. Adopting policies on floating solar power development will help countries like South Africa, Algeria and Libya reduce their reliance on fossil fuels for power generation.