NRG ISLAND - Floating PV Plants

Transcription

1 NRG ISLAND - Floating PV Plants 1

2 NRG ISLAND is the innovative system for installing photovoltaic systems on water FLOATING SOLAR SYSTEMS born as an alternative solution to large plants on the ground, avoiding to exploit agricultural land for the production of energy. "NRG ISLAND" is a patented system designed to maximize electricity generation by using floating photovoltaic panels installed on any water basins. Production of the floating photovoltaic system can increase from 10% to 20% compared to a similarly grounded plant, thanks to its proximity to water s surface and to the reflected light which reaches the solar photovoltaic panels. NRG ISLAND System is modular and replicable in width and length so you can achieve the desired power. The floating system is rigid and stable: the floats provide support for the structures and panels and provide a floor plan for ordinary inspection and maintenance operations 2

3 The reasons for choosing Floating Photovoltaic The scarcity of adequate land surfaces for the development of photovoltaic projects, the times of plant construction, the regulatory constraints and the cost of land for agricultural use limited installation of photovoltaic solar systems over time. Instead everywhere there is a great deal of available artificial or natural water basins used for industrial or irrigation purposes and generally for water supply. Producing solar energy from basins allows you to benefit from an environmental, social and economic point of view. STANDARD PV PLANT VS FLOATING PV PLANT TradiTional Floating Necessity of extensive land Using inactive spaces Purchase or leasing of land Retraining of disused spaces Limited installation conditions (quarries, reservoirs, etc.) (eg shading) Favorable installation Reduced efficiency due to conditions (eg shading high ground temperatures prevention) Environmental pollution Increased efficiency thanks Deforestation to: Refractive use Cooling of panels Echo system protection FLOATING PV PLANT S APPLICATIONS Thanks to its modularity and ease of installation, floating systems can be easily installed in: Industrial water systems Cave / mine lakes Irrigation tanks Desalination plants Digestive / Canal Aquaculture Surfaces Water treatment plants Fish Farms Environmental Benefits Zero environmental impact Minimizes the evaporation phenomenon Preserve the existing ecosystem Reduces algae flowering Redevelopment of disused water basins Social Benefits Recovers contaminated areas by generating clean energy Plots intended for agricultural or other uses are not exploited Economic Benefits Converts unused basins to profitable areas Increases efficiency and power generation Reduces connection costs to electricity distribution centers 3

4 Benefits in detail: higher performance than a traditional plant The first important benefit comes from refraction of water. The water's ability to reflect and amplify sunlight allows the plant to capture more light and generate more energy. Not only that: aquatic installations allow solar panels to work at lower temperatures, avoiding overheating of cells. However overheating of panels in ground installations results in significant performance drops despite optimum levels of irradiation. Indeed, each photovoltaic panel has an optimum operating temperature of between 20 and 25 degrees, with increasing temperature decreasing the cell performance. Finally, even in winter, in the morning, despite the low temperatures, thanks to the water-reducing effect, the panels are defrosted 1 hour earlier than the traditional ones; this is an early start of production. 35 tilt of panels - Year-on-year performance plants comparison - Orientation of the panels 0 5 tilt of panels Orientation of the panels 0 Comparing the yields of the two types of plants during the year and taking into account the variations in temperature, the floating plant overall has an increase of + 10% / 20% of annual production. 4

5 Benefits in detail: Reduction of water evaporation By covering a significant surface on a reservoir, the system reduces evaporation while the shading resulting from its panels limits the growth of algae. In addition, the system does not constitute dangers to wildlife and surrounding habitat, as it does not release waste or substances of any kind. Empirical studies on some of the installed systems showed a reduction in evaporation of about 500 liters / m² / year, corresponding to a reduction of about 80% of normal evaporation in the absence of implants. From these studies we can see that on the surface covered by the plant evaporation is reduced by the action of two fundamental factors: Eliminating the wind component, which allows for a 50% reduction; The shade of the aquatic surface, guaranteed by the photovoltaic modules, allows a reduction of 30%. The total volume of saved water will depend by covered surface, which for a floating photovoltaic plant is estimated to be about 11,000 square meters for each photovoltaic MWp. This means saving 5.5 million liters of water per year, or Mc / year per MWp of a photovoltaic field. A practical application example: Over the past 10 years California has been subjected to an unprecedented Water Crisis. In 2015 to try to stem the significant water loss in the city's reservoirs basins and water reserves, 96 million plastic balls (HDPEs) were used to cover the Los Angeles basins, blocking the sunlight and avoiding water evaporation. All this is designed to save about 300 million liters of water every year. 5

6 Benefits in detail: ease of installation and maintenance NRG ISLAND system is modular. Easy to assemble, it is mounted directly on the shore of the water basin. Floating modules are made of high density polyethylene, (HDPE) joined together by special connectors and aluminum or stainless steel structures that also support photovoltaic panels. Each module consists of 4 floats and 1 aluminum or stainless steel frame supporting 4 photovoltaic panels. The floats provide support frames, engaging with them to form a rigid and stable system, allowing operators to walk on every row of floats even with trolleys or equipment in order to allow proper monitoring and maintenance of the photovoltaic system. Another advantage is the ability to allow operators to easily orient the panels to sunlight and to create a "tracking" system that can maximize overall plant productivity. 6

7 Locations and contacts: Imola (BO) - Via I Maggio 70/b, mob Camaiore (LU) - Via dei Carpentieri n.41, mob info@nrgisland.com 7