#wasteponds — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #wasteponds, aggregated by home.social.
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I like this idea way more than floating #NuclearPlants...!
These remarkable floating #SolarPanels solve one of the biggest problems with sun-based energy — here’s how they work
Story by Rick Kazmer, October 20, 2023
"Solar power innovators in Europe, Asia, and North America are launching flotillas of solar panels on open water with shocking results.
"In this case, electricity and water are a great combination, sometimes providing new life for forgotten lagoons that were created for past industrial efforts. Bloomberg reported that an old coal pit can be turned into a 'green powerhouse' when covered with floating panel systems, and such a project has the potential to replace fossil-fuel generation entirely in certain communities.
"When operational, these systems could make towns self-sufficient energywise. A paper in the journal #NatureSustainability claims that more than 6,200 'communities and/or cities in 124 countries' could provide all the power needed with floating solar energy systems.
"Cohoes, New York, is an example of how these projects can work in America’s towns.
"Here, with no land available for a #SolarFarm, city planner Joe Seaman-Graves looked to an unused 14-acre reservoir in his town, according to a PBS report. A floating solar energy system is slated to be completed in Cohoes, which has a population of about 17,000, this year at a cost of about $6 million to $6.5 million. PBS reported that the federal government and other incentives are covering about half the cost.
"The price tag to get a floating system running is higher than other solar operations, and experts are studying aquatic ecosystems to ensure the projects don’t impact life under the water. Once completed, however, the returns can be great. The solar energy system in Cohoes could power the town’s government buildings and street lighting, realizing a $500,000 yearly savings, all per PBS."
#Renewables #WastePonds #SolarPower #Municipalities #LocalElectricityProduction