Spanish energy and infrastructure developer, ACCIONA has commenced installing a grid-connected floating solar photovoltaic facility in the region of Extremadura, Spain.
The facility is a demonstration project that aims to study technical solutions to install solar panels on the surface of lakes and reservoirs.
The 1.125MWp project will be completed by mid-year and will be located on the southern shore of the Sierra Brava reservoir, which is located in Zorita (Cáceres).
The Sierra Brava is an artificial reservoir of 1,650ha, constructed in 1996 and is fed by the waters of the Pizarroso stream.
The solar project is covering approximately 12,000m² area and will occupy about 0.07% of surface area of the reservoir.
Different solar module technologies, configurations and flotation structures will be evaluated
The demonstration project will evaluate different solar module technologies and configurations regarding inclination, placement and orientation, among other parameters as well as the flotation structures.
The installation will comprise five adjacent floating systems, which are supplied by Amilibia Marinas, Isigenere and Stansol companies. They will be anchored to the bottom of the reservoir and will be connected to the shore by jetty.
Acciona said that each system will consist of 600 photovoltaic panels with a total capacity of approximately 1,125MWp.
Each system will be linked to three 60kW inverters, which will convert the direct current generated by the panels to alternate current.
Acciona stated: “The new floating plant has been conceived as a pilot facility that will contribute to the analysis on the optimization of energy production from this kind of installations.
“The facility will complement the company’s photovoltaic innovation hub at the El Romero complex in Chile.”
