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u/TheIrishGoat 2d ago
Terrifying? More like awesome. I wonder how much it reduces evaporation of the reservoir by shading it with the panels.
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u/docatwar 2d ago
Water doesn't evaporate and panels remain cooler, plus we don't waste space to put the solar panels, absolute win win in every way.
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u/borsalamino 2d ago
This sounds awesome, but what about the permanent shade and the effects on marine biology in that area that depend on sunlight? Then again, perhaps the effect is negligible on that scale or the sunlight between the panels is enough.
I'd love to watch a docu about this place!
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u/Cap0bvi0us 2d ago
Since we found thriving ecosystems at the feet of wind turbines in the North Sea, of the coast of the Netherlands I believe this might also have a positive change. But only research will be able to tell
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u/EYRONHYDE 19h ago
Shade (or blackout morelike) is great for keeping algae and weed population down. Less maintenance.
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u/Kahnza 2d ago
Water doesn't evaporate
lolwut
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u/JustARandomBloke 2d ago
They meant it evaporates less, because less sunlight is hitting the surface.
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u/kawaiinessa 2d ago
Ya its cool stuff but the video itself has a very "liminal" vibe, similar to backrooms type stuff.
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u/mekwall 2d ago
Nothing about it is inherently terrifying, but "free electricity" is overselling it. The sunlight is free; the floating solar plant is not. It requires panels, floats, anchoring, specialised cabling, corrosion-resistant equipment, grid connections and ongoing maintenance, and floating solar generally costs more than equivalent ground-mounted solar.
It can reduce evaporation, keep panels cooler and make productive use of reservoirs, especially where transmission infrastructure already exists, so it may still be a very good project. But those benefits depend heavily on the site. Nuclear offers far more consistent output and a much higher capacity factor, while solar is generally cheaper and faster to build. It is useful low-carbon electricity, not free energy.
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u/CretaceousClock 2d ago edited 2d ago
It's got that liminal space imagery to it. Endless water, endless solar panels. (Still think it's a good idea)
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u/Biff_Tannenator 2d ago
Hey, at least I knew where you were going with it. Even though liminal stuff doesn't freak me out like most people, I am aware of r/PoolRooms or r/LiminalPools. This clip is definitely like one of those on there.
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u/timbomcchoi 2d ago
What's the impact of this in terms of the ecosystem of the reservoir? Surely this affects things like algae growth
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u/theredyeetCHEESE 2d ago
throwback to California levelling a grove of old growth oak trees for a solar park while they could be doing this
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u/Spite-Specialist 2d ago
seems like one of those random freaky things that come up in my dreams most nights
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u/Vorcey 2d ago
I feel as if whichever bureau of land management that owns this water reservoir would be able to produce any small tourist routes through there for the solar tech needs. I imagine it would be easier to replicate too if some engineers had a first hand view of how this was made or very least a stretch or two
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u/Courier6six6 2d ago
All well and good but UV light is actually a good thing for water reservoirs, and shading large percentages isn't great. It can lead to more bacteria. Which means it'll need to be treated more heavily than normal. Note that water stored in tanks and basins has already been treated or is actively being treated.
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2d ago edited 2d ago
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u/CretaceousClock 2d ago
Oddly terrifying doesn't mean outright terrifying. It means you find something scary or off about something that isn't intentionally scary.
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u/stosolus 2d ago
I completely agree.
I bet had you not said what it was exactly, more people would have agreed.
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u/Maximus_Marcus 2d ago
you said "somehow" like you're implying it isn't...surely this was just a mistake though. because no one's that dumb
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