Floating Solar Panels

Floating solar panels

Since 2007, SPG Solar has been promoting its floating solar panels to government officials and commercial enterprises, such as wineries and industrial mine owners. Floating solar panels, or “floatovoltaics” as they are cleverly called, can help increase the use of solar power where it might not otherwise be practical or possible.

So what does this entail?

Instead of installing solar panels on rooftops, or even ground-mounted, floating solar panels rest on pontoons on a body of water. For example, at Far Niente Winery, one of its irrigation pond holds 994 solar panels to help generate clean, green, free solar electricity.

And, Why is this helpful to the company? According to Larry Maguire, Far Niente’s CEO:

“Vineyard land in this part of the Napa Valley runs somewhere between $200,000 and $300,000 an acre. We wanted to go solar but we didn’t want to pull out vines.”

Beyond vineyards, other commercial uses could benefit from floating solar panels. For example, an owner of an industrial gravel mine is considering Floatovoltaics for a settling pond where traditional solar panels may not work otherwise. Golf courses, amusement parks and other similar uses are also prime candidates for this solar technology.

Would floating solar panels work for your business? Using prime “real estate” like ponds with ample sunlight exposure may be just the answer to reducing energy costs and carbon footprints.

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