According to Saman Gorji, a senior lecturer at Deakin University, evaporation is the primary reason for water loss from Australian dams, surpassing losses from leaks, seepage or infrastructure issues. Each year, about 1,400 gigalitres of water evaporates from dams and reservoirs across Australia, enough to fill Sydney Harbour three times over.
To tackle this, Australian water utilities are exploring floating solar panels on lakes and reservoirs. By covering a large portion of the water's surface, the panels help reduce evaporation and generate electricity.
Canopy Power, a Singapore-based company backed by TotalEnergies SE and the Gaia Impact Fund, is one of the firms bringing this technology to Australia. Last December, it secured exclusive rights to distribute a floating solar system developed by Norway's Ocean Sun AS, a leader in this field.
Ocean Sun’s system features floating rings made from modified polypropylene, each about 70 meters in diameter, generating around 670 kilowatts of solar power. The rings also have pumps that capture rainwater.
Canopy Power is in discussions with five water utilities in Victoria and expects to launch its first project there soon.
By covering roughly 70 per cent of a reservoir’s surface, the system can reduce evaporation by 55 per cent. Unlike full-cover solutions that could lead to algal blooms by blocking sunlight and oxygen, these floating rings help keep the water clean while cutting evaporation.
The technology is also being trialled in other regions of Australia. The Western Australian government has invested A$2.8 million ($1.8 million) in a pilot project called the Great Southern Evaporation Trial. The 19-month program is testing the use of hundreds of thousands of interlocking hexagonal discs in dams across the state.
In a country facing hotter, drier conditions due to climate change and struggling with water shortages, solutions like this could play a key role in addressing climate challenges.
Image source: Ocean Sun
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