Japan is building huge solar power plants that float on water

[n2doc]

Unlike coal-fired plants, solar power stations don’t produce smog but they do take up land. Or, at least they did.

In Japan’s Hyogo prefecture, a solar station was recently launched that floats on a reservoir and will produce about 2,680 megawatt hours per year—enough for 820 typical households. Kyocera plans to build dozens of such stations on reservoirs around Japan, especially in areas lacking available land for utility-scale generation.

With construction completed in late May and operations begun this week, the new installation measures 333 by 77 meters (1,093 by 253 ft) and will sell the energy it produces to Kansai Electric Power in Osaka for about ¥96 million ($780,000) annually, according to the Japan Times. Helpful, as Japan’s energy strategy in the aftermath of Fukushima calls for roughly doubling the amount of renewable power sources in the country by 2030.

It employs nearly 9,100 waterproof solar panels and a float made of high-density polyethylene. It’s Kyocera’s third such installation, the first two being smaller versions launched on ponds earlier this year.

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http://qz.com/426718/japan-is-building-huge-solar-power-plants-that-float-on-water/

[Duckhunter935]

1. We should do something like that

wonder if it would help with evaporation here out in the west

[OnlinePoker]

2. I wonder if this would work in tandem with a fish farm?

Put the farm under the panels and use some of the generated electricity to aerate the water in the reservoir if needed. Japan loves fish and I think this would produce a good amount of fresh-water fish annually.

[kristopher]

3. Then link that pond to a separate growing pond for algae

The algae need nutrients that are provided by fish excrement, and in return, the algae clean and oxygenate the water for the fish.
The high lipid algae could be harvested for bio-diesel. IIRC some varieties are upwards of 70% oil by weight.