Floating Solar Panels Arrive

Solar panels continue to evolve and Italian investors have released a new prototype dubbed floating solar panels. The new technology will absorb sunlight on Italy’s Lake Colignola in order to provide a more cost effective way to harness solar energy. The plant can produce 30 kW, and is estimated to cost around €48,000 – 20% cheaper than ground-based solar panels.

The flat, rotating panels are lined with reflectors that sit on raft-like structures and are anchored to the lakebed with a pylon. The Floating Tracking Cooling Concentrator (FTCC) system is designed to take advantage of unused areas of artificial reservoirs or disused quarries and the water keeps the panels cool. Reflectors are positioned to maximize solar capture at different times of the day, making it more efficient than a traditional installation.

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