The small city of Warrnambool in southwest Victoria is set to launch the biggest floating array of solar panels in all of Australia, according to a report by ABC News.
As part of a $1.4 million pontoon project revealed by water authority Wannon Water, more than 1,200 double-sided solar panels will be permanently stationed in the middle of the Brierly Basin.
ABERDEEN, NC - JUNE 10: A new floating solar panel system is deployed on Big Muddy Lake at Camp Mackall as the U.S. Army hosts a ribbon-cutting event to unveil the solar energy system on June 10, 2022 at Camp Mackall in Aberdeen, North Carolina. The first of its kind in the Department of Defense and the largest floating system in the southeast United States, the 1.1-megawatt floating solar system will also include a 2-MW/2 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system made by Tesla.
Green Energy Breakthrough
Although it is unclear whether the green energy breakthrough will become a tourist draw, it does promise at least two substantial changes - a huge decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and significant electricity bill savings.
The new solar energy system will float on pontoons constructed of high-density polyethylene, the same material used to construct water pipes.
The solar farm, according to Wannon Water, would produce more than 600,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy annually and cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 600 tonnes. That amounts to financial savings for the company of more than $500,000, as per ABC News.
Pumps are used to bring water into the basin from the Otways, collect it from neighboring roofs, treat it, and then pump it to residences in Warrnambool, Allansford, and Koroit.
In Gippsland's Lardner Park, close to Drouin, the state government has contributed more than $200,000 for a similar floating system. The system is anticipated to power the park and act as a solar display at Farm World events held in the area.
The initiative has been completely sponsored by Wannon Water and was initiated by the state government as part of its effort for water utilities to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
More than 400 floating solar panel systems, according to the government, have been built across the world, but Warrnambool's will be the first of its kind for the Australian water industry.
Floating Solar in the North Sea
In the North Sea, a new project to install floating solar panels has been launched as well. The project is a component of a partnership to develop "floating solar parks," where the German energy giant RWE will invest in a trial run of floating solar technology.
SolarDuck will gain valuable first-hand experience from Merganser in one of the most difficult offshore settings in the world. The most recent development will open up new solar energy options despite the harsh North Sea environment.
Offshore floating solar technology from SolarDuck offers a solution to produce green energy, given the present scarcity of land. Incorporating offshore floating solar into offshore wind farms will create synergies for the construction and upkeep of the multi-source renewable energy plant.
Read also: 'Solar Facade': These Embedded Solar Panels Produce 50 Times More Power Than Standard Panels!
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
