A recently published paper led by an Oregon State University researcher suggests that installing floating solar panels on top of existing reservoirs could have a variety of positive results. Those include cooling the solar panels, allowing for greater energy generation from those panels, and preventing the water in shallower reservoirs from warming to temperatures that are challenging for fish and other aquatic life.
According to lead researcher Evan Bredeweg, there are relatively few of these kinds of installations in the U.S., but in countries that have embraced solar and non-fossil fuel energy, they are relatively common. Bredeweg joins us to tell us more about the study and the potential floating solar has for wide-scale adoption.
Think Out Loud