Ph.D. Candidate Alex Cagle and Prof. Hernandez’s research featured in Forbes
A new floating solar panel system is deployed on Big Muddy Lake at Camp Mackall as the U.S. Army hosts a ribbon-cutting event to unveil the solar energy system on June 10, 2022, at Camp Mackall in Aberdeen, North Carolina. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
Floating Solar: The Most Practical Green Technology?
BY ARIEL COHEN
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Earlier this month, the US Army launched a large floating solar array at Camp Mackall on Fort Bragg in North Carolina— the country’s largest domestic military base. This launch marks a critical moment for floating photovoltaics (FPVs) which have yet to attract mainstream attention in the USA.
Two-thirds of the planet’s surface is covered by water, but despite their immense promise, these “floatovoltaics”, FPVs, only make up 2 percent of all domestic solar installations. Floatovoltics have the potential to solve several of the problems plaguing conventional solar energy: exclusive land use, energy distribution, and heat dispersion. The promising tech may also help with hydrological regulation in canals, reservoirs, and draught-threatened natural bodies of water.
While solar is the cheapest renewable electricity resource, it has less energy density than fossil fuels and is more land intensive. On average, traditional solar farms require more space per watt than fossil fuels. Natural gas, for instance, is approximately 80 times more power-dense than solar. This is especially challenging because solar developers often face opposition from residents who see sprawling farms as a blight—citing reasons ranging from decreasing home values to habitat harm to loss of arable land.
However, floatovoltaics are built to float on a body of water reducing the land requirement necessary to produce renewable energy. Project designers can make FPVs in various shapes to fit the location. Suitable bodies of water include on-shore ponds, lakes, reservoirs, dams, or off-shore waters. This practice can reduce land sparing and free up space for agriculture, infrastructure, and other needs.