Floating Solar Panel System Developed in Italy
Scintec, led by executive manager, Professor Marco Rosa-Clot developed the FTCC or the Floating Tracking Cooling Concentrator system. The FTCC is a floating solar panel system designed for use in natural and artificial basins and lakes. Its features include reflectors, a cooling system using water sprinklers, and a tracking system to follow the sun’s movement. These attributes combined reduce the operating cost of the FTCC by 20% compared to a ground-based solar panel systems currently in use (PDF).
The use of reflectors increases the efficiency of the solar panels reducing the demand for panels which contain toxic and difficult to recycle materials such as silicon. The life expectancy of the solar panels used significantly increased as thermal stress — the leading cause of aging in solar panels — is practically non-existent in the FTCC system.
Professor Rosa-Clot said:
There is no miraculous solution to the energy problem. Our project will make it possible to have a far greater number of photovoltaic installations at an ever lower cost. — Times live
The coupling of floating solar panels with hydroelectricity offers further gains in energy production.
The beauty of the FTCC system is that it maximises the potential energy output of an area. Fertile ground need no longer be used by solar panels and water basins and lakes are utilised.
Should be less dust and cleaning problems as well !
Such a system could potentially reduce evaporation from dams, too.