The two facilities are comprised of 11,256 255-watt Kyocera modules on a high-density

polyethylene platform, and are reportedly capable of withstanding typhoon conditions. It is

thought that the shade produced by the vast power plants should reduce both algae growth
and water evaporation.

By Sophie Vorrath on 5 March 2015

Australia could have its first floating solar power plant within months, with construction
set to begin on a PV array that will be installed on top of a wastewater treatment facility
in Jamestown, South Australia.
Once completed it could be operational by early April the Jamestown floating solar
plant is expected to produce more than enough energy to power the wastewater
treatment facility, with excess power to be exported for use by the township.

Solar panels will be floated at the wastewater facility at Jamestown similar to a current project in France. Image
via ABC News, supplied by Infratech Industries

Floating solar arrays take advantage of open water where land space is constrained.

The biggest floating plant, in terms of output, will soon be placed atop the
reservoir of Japan's Yamakura Dam in Chiba prefecture, just east of Tokyo.
When completed in March 2016, it will cover 180,000 square meters, hold
50,000 photovoltaic solar panels, and power nearly 5,000 households. It will
also offset nearly 8,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. (Since the
EPA estimates a typical car releases 4.7 tons of CO2 annually, that's about 1,700
cars' worth of emissions.)
The Yamakura Dam project is a collaboration by Kyocera (a Kyotoheadquartered electronics manufacturer), Ciel et Terre (a French company that
designs, finances, and operates photovoltaic installations), and Century Tokyo
Leasing Corporation.
"Overall, this is a very interesting idea. If successful, it will bring a huge impact,"
says Yang Yang, a professor of engineering at the University of California, Los
Angeles who specializes in photovoltaic solar panels. "However, I do have
concerns of its safety against storms and other natural disasters, not to mention
corrosion."

Unlike a solar installation on the ground or mounted on a rooftop, floating solar

energy plants present relatively new difficulties. For one thing, everything needs
to be waterproofed, including the panels and wiring. Plus, a giant, artificial
contraption can't just be dropped into a local water supply without certain
precautions, such as adherence to regulations on water qualitya relevant
concern, particularly if the structure starts to weather away.
"That is one reason we chose Ciel et Terre's floating platforms, which are 100
percent recyclable and made of high-density polyethylene that can withstand
ultraviolet rays and corrosion," says Ichiro Ikeda, general manager of Kyocera's
solar energy marketing division.
"Earthquakes have no impacts on the floating photovoltaic system, which has no
foundation and an adequate anchoring system that ensures its stability," says
Eva Pauly, international business manager at Ciel et Terre. "That's a big
advantage in a country like Japan."

The technology is fairly simple. Solar panels will be set up on floating platforms which will
be anchored firmly so that it does not sway. Scientists in charge of the projects are still
working on the ways of securing the platform in case there are strong winds.
Following the government's announcement of setting up 2 lakh mw of solar power generation
capacity, prices of barren land earmarked for solar power projects have gone up by at least
20-30 %.
This has been pushing up solar power prices. Water bodies can now offer an alternative
solution to this problem. Four acres of land is required to generate 1 mw of solar power at an
investment of about Rs 7 crore.
It produces power costing Rs 8 per unit. In contrast, if panels are installed on floating
platforms, the area required is likely to be 10-20 % less than 4 acres.
Capital cost for such solar projects will be around Rs 6.5 crore per MW, which will generate
power at Rs 7 per unit. It will also qualify for the state and central subsidy that the
government provides as part of its solar mission.

Vikram Solar completes India's first floating PV plant.