Novel Floating Photovoltaic Cover Systems Generating Electricity and Prevent Evaporative Losses for Agriculture Industry in Iran

The article introduce a feasibility analysis of a novel floating photovoltaic cover system (FPCS) for water irrigation reservoirs whose purpose is to reduce the surface evaporation of water while generating electrical power. The FPCS consists of photovoltaic panels which are mounted on floating modules. The nominal capacity of FPCS is 240kWp plant which is simulated on a reservoir in Khuzestan province of Iran to study the performance of the system. The simulation shows the FPCS can generate an annual production of 380500 kWhyear-1 of renewable energy, which can be fed directly into the electricity supply network. The water saved due to reduction in evaporation by covering the reservoir can be as much as 13950 m3year-1, about 24% of the reservoir’s storage capacity. Although the cost of the system can be 20 percent higher than that of a conventional grid-connected PV installation, the system’s reduction of water losses due to evaporation is a significant compensation to offset the slightly higher cost of the PV installation. Given that Iran faces an impending water shortage crisis and the need to generate power from alternative sources to fossil fuel the FPCS solution addresses both objectives in an intersection of technical and economic feasibility. The FPCS can be an efficient solution to the agro-energetic policies and issues as prioritized by Iran and the need for water efficiency tools in the agricultural industry of the country.

کلیدواژه ها:

floating photovoltaic cover systems ، evaporative losses ، Agriculture industry ، and feasibility analysis