Why we should be putting solar panels on our fields and lakes

On our way to an emissions-neutral future the use of solar energy is crucial. The problem: the space for photovoltaic systems is getting tight. We need land for food, for housing, to preserve biodiversity. So where to go with the solar cells?

Credits:
Reporter: Monika Sax
Video Editors: Philipp Czegka, Frederik Willmann
Supervising Editors: Kiyo Dörrer, Malte Rohwer-Kahlmann

We're destroying our environment at an alarming rate. But it doesn't need to be this way. Our new channel Planet A explores the shift towards an eco-friendly world — and challenges our ideas about what dealing with climate change means. We look at the big and the small: What we can do and how the system needs to change. Every Friday we'll take a truly global look at how to get us out of this mess.

#PlanetA #Agrivoltaics #Floatovoltaics

Read more:

Author would like to thank (for research support and background information):
Tim Pinguin, The Space Energy Initiative, UK
Laura Dijksma and Gerjan Wubs, Groenleven, NL
Tanja Göller, Next2Sun, Germany
Børge Bjørneklett, Ocean Sun, Norway
Archanaa Nivruthaa Raja, Sembcorp Industries, Singapore

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:23 Introducing Agrivoltaics
03:16 Photovoltaics place in agriculture
05:48 Taking the plunge with Floatovoltaics
09:57 Environmental impacts of floating solar
11:35 Solar power from space
14:20 Conclusion

[MrArtist]

Anyone can Google map anywhere in the world and see that virtually no rooftops in the world have solar panels. If we start there--covering every roof with solar panels, and then cover most car parking lots with solar, we'll have enough solar energy. And then we can work on road-sides and other unusable lands, and then agriphotovoltaics and other ideas.

[freudsigmund]

in the US there are about 2 billion parking spaces. I think it is a perfect match to place PV-panels above these parking spaces. If a parking space is 10 m2 (and per parking space there is an additional 10 m2 on access road), that would make an area of 40.000 km2 of area. depending on surrounding buildings and or trees, there would still be a huge area suitable. When driving through Arizona, it really struck me that all cars on the parkinglot of a shoppingmall were located around a tree hoping to get a sliver of shade.

[tomkarren]

The problem with solar is storage - there’s plenty of space to put panels. These ideas don’t solve the primary issue, which is better, cheaper energy storage.

[KevinLyda]

There are some Indian projects for solar panels over irrigation canals. It reduces evaporation and provides power.

The key to solar power is residential and grid storage. Hopefully flow batteries and liquid air storage will work for that.

[Rahulcj]

We in India have covered the canals and large water bodies with solar panels and we are doing it for the past decade and above, floating panels is already in use for may be 5 years and agri voltaic is also in use ....

[hccmzuf]

This is an excellent video! I am based in Japan and a part of the worldwide agrivoltaic community. I work closely with many of the persons and companies appeared in this video. We want to translate this video, putting Japanese subtitles first, to introduce it to the Japanese audience. If you agree, please let me know where I should contact to obtain your side consent and to know how we can proceed.

[mcqueen]

Agrivoltaics, roof top solar, and panels covering reservoirs and irrigation canals are brilliant ideas. In each case there is a secondary benefit in addition to generating clean energy. The cost of the panels themselves might be higher, but this is more than offset by the secondary financial payoff.

[amzarnacht]

I've been saying this for thirty years. The best places to put solar panels is ABOVE areas that don't need sun so much. Water storage areas, parking lots, fields of shade preferring crops.
Honestly, it should be flat out illegal to build a parking area for more than 10 vehicles without a solar 'roof'.

The only problem is the end-of-life disposal of solar: They're almost entirely non-recyclable, or the process is even more toxic than creating them is.

[tysi]

Floatovoltaics on salt or brakish water could also be used to collect evaporating water. This free desalinisation process would add to the efficiency for no significant costs.

[vinodraj]

One of the best and I think simplest way is to mandate solar panel on each house / apartment / factories etc at least in urban areas

[madcow]

Panels are even more useful at hydropower because of energy storage. You can use the dam as a gravity battery.

[SaveMoneySavethePlanet]

One thing I’ve always though is cool about solar is that it doesn’t have an exponential relationship between size and output like other power generators.

Take wind for example (which I love), making the blades 1/3 longer actually increases output by much MORE than 1/3. But for solar, doubling the amount of panels doubles the amount of generation.

So putting 10 panels on the roof of a house makes exactly as much financial sense as covering a giant farm with thousands of panels.

So the title of this video is 100% correct. Put. Solar. Everywhere!

[theboxman]

The fact that we can fulfill all the energy needed just from using rooftops and empty lands to put the panels amaze me, and it is also if we are not including the rest of renewable energy sources.

[bigbuilder]

While slapping solar on every roof and car park sounds like a good start, the issue is that not all roofs are angled towards the sun or receive shading due to trees or nearby buildings. Yes the panels will still produce energy but at diminished yields which might make them uneconomical. One issue with the agricultural panels is that they’ll only work in niche areas. Large industrial farms, which make up the vast majority of farm land, won’t adopt the idea as the panels prevent tractors and combines from working. Floating solar is a neat concept and makes sense for reservoirs or other restricted navigation areas but wouldn’t be viable in the wider ocean or rivers due to the navigation hazard they pose. The best solution, diversification of green energy sources. Encourage solar, wind, geo, nuclear (not decommissioning), et c.

[terrykinross]

This is crazy. The Building Regulations should be amended immediately to include the mandatory installation of solar panels on all new buildings and whenever roofs are renewed. By installing the panels integral with the roof covering the extra cost of the panels would be partially offset by savings in roof tiles.

[drpgfki]

Solar modules and salt water don't get along well. Let alone all the electronics.

[UldisCrystal]

For years I have been walking around my city and always wondered why solar panels aren't placed in these locations:

-5-9 story house rooftops? Here seagulls are nesting and seem like wasted space.
- outdoor windowsill for every apartment block and private house.
-Fences
-Building walls

[NicolaiVE]

On the parking of Pari Daiza located in Belgium they put solar panels above most of the parking lot. So the space needed for the cars isn't wasted and the cars stay cool on a warm day. (we went last sunday, wich happend to be a sunny day!) Do this with all the open parking lots of cinema's, theme parcs etc... And you also use otherwise wasted space ;)

[wcdeich]

How about over parking lots? Lots of malls have huge black asphalt parking lots just baking in the sun. People would appreciate parking in the shade.

[ninemoonplanet]

I live near the Pacific ocean, there are resident Orca whales all throughout the passages and inlets. They're highly dependent on specific species, salmon and others. A floating voltaic system would drastically interfere with the whales otters, seals, and birds that use the ocean for both food and nurturing their young.
Extreme hazards should never be the standard for ecological damage. The current ocean temperature is already rising, affecting mollusks and aquatic systems, plants and fish. Those panels cool because of the absorption of the heat into the water. We don't need hotter ocean currents, we need cooling down.