Estimation of Solar Electricity Generation from Floating Photovoltaics Installed in Water Dams in the Island of Crete, Greece



Abstract Views
382

Downloads
268

Citations

Share

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##

Submitted Dec 27, 2022
Published Jan 20, 2023
10.24018/ejgeo.2023.4.1.376

Abstract viewed = 382 times

Table of Contents

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##

The role of solar energy for heat and power generation is very important during the transition to a low carbon economy. Floating solar photovoltaics consists of a novel and rapidly growing sustainable energy technology having many advantages compared to conventional ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems. Aim of the current research is the investigation of the possibility of installing floating photovoltaics in the existing water reservoirs in the island of Crete, Greece. Data on existing water dams in Crete were used and the nominal power of floating photovoltaics as well as their potential for electricity generation were evaluated. It has been estimated that the nominal power of floating photovoltaics that can be installed in these water dams, with coverage ratio at 0.1 to 0.3, varies between 55.76 MWp to 167.3 MWp while the annual electricity generation from the floating photovoltaics varies between 78.3 GWh to 234.9 GWh. The annual electricity generation from the abovementioned floating panels corresponds at 2.57 % to 7.72 % of the annual electricity consumption in Crete in 2018. Our study indicates that floating solar photovoltaics can be installed in the existing water dams in Crete generating significant amounts of green electricity having also various environmental co-benefits. The current work could be useful to policy makers, local and regional authorities, energy companies as well as to owners of the water dams in the island.

Keywords: Crete-Greece, Floating Photovoltaics, Solar Electricity, Water Reservoirs.

References

  1. Solar-Hydro. Floating solar PV on dam reservoirs: The opportunities and challenges. Hydropower & Dams. 2021;4: 82-101. [Online Report] Retrieved from: https://www.hydropower-dams.com/wp-content/uploads/FPV_report.pdf.
     Google Scholar
  2. World Bank Group. Where sun meets water, floating solar market report. [Internet] 2019 [updated 2022 December 23]. Retrieved from: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/579941540407455831/pdf/Floating-Solar-Market-Report-Executive-Summary.pdf.
     Google Scholar
  3. Essak L, Ghosh A. Floating Photovoltaics: A Review. Clean Technologies, 2022; 4(3): 752-769. https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol4030046.
     Google Scholar
  4. Solomin E, Sirotkin E, Cuce E, Priya Selvanathan S, Kumarasamy S. Hybrid Floating Solar Plant Designs: A Review. Energies. 2021;14(10):2751. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14102751.
     Google Scholar
  5. Lopez M, Soto F, Hernandez ZA. Assessment of the potential of floating solar photovoltaic panels in bodies of water in mainland Spain. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2022;340: 130752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.130752.
     Google Scholar
  6. Elshafei M, Ibrahim A, Helmy A, Abdallah M, Eldeib A, Badawy M, AbdelRazek S. Study of Massive Floating Solar Panels over Lake Nasser. Hindawi Journal of Energy. 2021:1–17. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6674091.
     Google Scholar
  7. Kim SM, Oh M, Park HD. Analysis and prioritization of the floating Photovoltaics system potential for reservoirs in Korea. Applied Science. 2019;9(3):395. doi:10.3390/app9030395.
     Google Scholar
  8. Rahman MW, Mahmud MS, Ahmed R, Rahman MS, Arif MZ. Solar lanes and floating solar PV: New possibilities for source of energy generation in Bangladesh. In Innovations in Power and Advanced Computing Technologies (i-PACT); 2017:1-6. https://doi.org/10.1109/ipact.2017.8244878.
     Google Scholar
  9. Acharya M, Devraj S. Floating Solar Photovoltaic (FSPV): A Third Pillar to Solar PV Sector? TERI Discussion: Output of the ETC India Project (New Delhi: The Energy and Resources Institute). 2019. [Internet] 2020 [updated 2022 December 23]. Retrieved from: https://www.teriin.org/sites/default/files/2020-01/floating-solar-PV-report.pdf.
     Google Scholar
  10. 11th ICOLD European Club Symposium. October 2019; Crete, Greece.
     Google Scholar
  11. Greek Committee on Large Dams. Dams of Greece. Athens; 2013. [Internet] 2013 [updated 2022 December 23]. Retrieved from: https://docslib.org/doc/2651053/the-dams-of-greece.
     Google Scholar
  12. Hellenic Electricity Distributor Network Operator (HEDNO). The electricity system in Crete. Greece; 2018.
     Google Scholar
  13. Lee N, Grunwald U, Rosenlieb E, Mirletz H, Aznar A, Spencer R, Cox S. Hybrid floating solar photovoltaics-hydropower systems: Benefits and global assessment of technical potential. Renewable Energy. 2020; 167: 1415-1427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.08.080.
     Google Scholar
  14. Abdelal Q. Floating PV; an assessment of water quality and evaporation reduction in semi-arid regions. International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies. 2021;16(3):732-739. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijlct/ctab001.
     Google Scholar
  15. Ramasamy V, Margolis R. Floating photovoltaic system cost benchmark: Q1 2021. Installations on artificial water bodies, National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Technical Report NREL/TP-7A40-80695. 2021. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy22osti/80695.pdf.
     Google Scholar
  16. Pimentel Da Silva GD, Branco DAC. Is floating photovoltaic better than conventional photovoltaic? Assessing environmental impacts. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal. 2018;36(5):390–400. https://doi.org/10.1080/14615517.2018.1477498.
     Google Scholar
  17. Barbuscia M. Preliminary study of floating photovoltaic systems on dams. 2016. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.36168.11523.
     Google Scholar
  18. Patil Sujay S, Wagh MM, Shide NN. A review on floating solar photovoltaic power plants. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research. 2017;8(6):789-794.
     Google Scholar
  19. Dorenkamper M, Wahed A, Kumar A, Do JM, Kroon J, Reindi T. The cooling effect of floating PV in two different climate zones: a comparison of field test data from the Netherlands and Singapore. Solar Energy. 2021; 214: 239-247.
     Google Scholar
  20. Tzanakakis VA, Angelakis AN, Paranychianakis NV, Dialynas YG, Tchobanoglous G. Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of Water Resources in the Island of Crete, Greece. Water, 2020;12(6):1538. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12061538.
     Google Scholar
  21. Rosa-Clot M, Tina GM, Nizetic S. Floating photovoltaic plants and wastewater basins: an Australian project. Energy Procedia. 2017;134 :664-674. DOI: 10.1016/j.egypro.2017.09.585.
     Google Scholar
  22. Gonzalez Sanchez R, Kougias I, Moner-Girona M, Fahl F. Assessment of floating solar photovoltaic potential in existing hydropower reservoirs in Africa. Renewable Energy. 2021;169:687-699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.01.041.
     Google Scholar
  23. Farrar LW, Bahaj AS, James P, Anwar A, Amdar N. Floating solar PV to reduce water evaporation in water stressed regions and powering water pumping: Case study Jordan. Energy Conversion and Management, 2022; 260: 115598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2022.115598.
     Google Scholar
  24. Yashas V, Bagrecha A, Dhanush S. Feasibility study of floating solar panels over lakes in Bengaluru City. In Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Smart Infrastructure and Construction. 2021;174(1):1-10. https://doi.org/10.1680/jsmic.21.00002a.
     Google Scholar
  25. Junjanto B, Dewi T, Sitompul CR. Development of feasibility analysis of floating solar panel application in Palembang, South Sumatra. Journal of Physics, Conference Series, 2020;1500:012016. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1500/1/012016.
     Google Scholar
  26. Abid M, Abid Z, Sagin J, Murtaza R, Sarbassov D, Shabbir M. Prospects of floating photovoltaic technology and its implementation in central and south Asian countries. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. 2018;16(3):1755-1762. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-018-2080-5.
     Google Scholar
  27. Liu L, Wang Q, Lin H, Li H, Sun Q, Wennersten R. Power generation efficiency and prospects of floating photovoltaic systems. Energy Procedia. 2017; 105: 1136-1142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.03.483.
     Google Scholar
  28. Kougias I, Bodis K, Jager-Waldau A, Monforti-Ferrario F, Szabo S. Exploiting existing dams for solar-PV installations. Progress in Photovoltaics. 2015; 24(2):229-239. https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.2640.
     Google Scholar
  29. Kakoulaki G, Gonzalez Sanchez R, Gracia Amillo A, Szabo S, De Felice M, Farinosi F, De Felice L, et al. Benefits of pairing floating solar photovoltaics with hydropower reservoirs in Europe. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2023; 171: 112989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112989.
     Google Scholar
  30. Vourdoubas J. Possibility of using floating solar photovoltaics in the hybrid energy systems in the islands of El Hierro, Spain and Crete, Greece. American Academic Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences. 2022; 89(1): 124–138.
     Google Scholar