With the advancement of technology in the field of renewable energy, floating solar power plants have captured global attention as an innovative and efficient solution. These systems, which involve installing solar panels on floating structures on water surfaces such as artificial lakes behind dams, fish farming ponds, or abandoned water-filled mines, represent an intelligent response to two major challenges: the need for vast land areas and the issue of high water evaporation. Iran, with its extensive network of dams and their associated reservoirs, holds exceptional and largely untapped potential for the development of this technology.
The advantages of building floating power plants are numerous and significant. Firstly, these systems eliminate the need to use valuable agricultural or pastoral land, making them an ideal option for countries with land constraints. Secondly, panels installed on water, due to natural cooling from proximity to water, perform better than land-based panels, and their production efficiency can increase by up to 10%. The third, and perhaps most important, advantage in Iran’s arid conditions is the significant reduction in water evaporation from the surface of these water bodies. By providing shade, reducing direct radiation, and lowering wind speed at the water’s surface, the panels can prevent up to 70% of water evaporation. This translates to preserving vital water resources for drinking, agricultural, and industrial use.
Although this relatively new technology faces challenges such as higher initial costs for constructing durable floating structures, specialized maintenance in aquatic environments, and concerns regarding aquatic ecosystems, successful global experiences and rapid advancements in materials and design are gradually mitigating these issues. For Iran, implementing pilot projects on reservoir lakes behind dams such as the Sefidroud Dam, Karkheh Dam, or dams in desert provinces could serve as a suitable starting point. Knowledge-based and pioneering companies, like Horan Paya Energy Gostar, by monitoring this technology and assessing its feasibility, could play a pivotal role in introducing and developing this extraordinary potential. Deploying floating solar power plants in Iran would not only contribute to generating clean electricity but also mean conserving water and making optimal use of existing infrastructure.
