Solar power is a renewable resource that can be captured to make electricity in an environmentally friendly way. Floating solar is especially environmentally friendly. While all solar is good for the globe, here are the benefits that only buying from a floating solar company can provide.
Conserve Land
Where traditional solar farms require extensive space on land, floating solar companies can build their farms without taking up any land. Building on water conserves land for other purposes -- such as growing trees.
Trees offer immense benefits for the environment, as their leaves convert a lot of carbon dioxide into sugars. They also transfer a lot of carbon into their trunk and roots, which takes it out of the air.
Although little plants can grow around a traditional solar farm, trees aren't allowed to grow because they'd block sunlight. Conserving land by using a floating solar farm lets trees and other large plants take full advantage of the otherwise-used land.
Conserve Water
Counter-intuitively, floating solar companies' farms also help conserve water. They take up space on the surface of the water, but they reduce evaporation by acting as a blanket on the water. The underside of the panels stops sunlight from penetrating the water, and any water that does evaporate condenses on the panels and drips back down.
The water conservation feature of a floating solar field is especially noticeable on ponds and small lakes, which can have water levels that vary significantly with the passing seasons. The farm can provide more stability throughout the season.
Reduce Water Temperature
As the temperatures of oceans and lakes increase, floating solar farms can counter this trend. The sunlight that would otherwise warm the water is partially converted into electricity and partially reflective. Either way, it doesn't get into the water below the farm and prevents warming the water up.
Keeping the water below a farm cooler helps cool the entire immediate area, as the coldness will radiate with the flow of underwater currents.
Again, reducing water temperatures can be especially noticeable on ponds and small lakes. It may even reduce the risk of algae blooms in these bodies, which can see blooms when water temperatures rise dramatically.
Provide Underwater Structures
The undersides of floating solar panels are structures on which marine life will grow. Barnacles and/or coral might grow in the bottom of panels in saltwater environments. Algae and seaweed might grow in freshwater lakes and ponds. Either way, these animals and plants are vital to the ecosystem of a body of water.
Contact a floating solar energy company, such as US Floating Solar, to learn more.
Share
