World’s Largest Floating Solar Power Plant In China

China is taking solar power seriously. They constructed a huge power plant near the city of Huainan and it’s floating on water. The area is very rich in coal and was earlier used for mining but was flooded due to constant rain. However, it now has a new purpose – to supply solar energy to the homes in the city.

With 40-megawatts of capacity, this is the largest floating solar power facility in the world. So, what are the benefits of placing it on water? The government states that ‘the plant in Huainan not only makes full use of this area, reducing the demand for land but also improves generation due to the cooling effects of the surface.’  

That is right, the air on the water surface will keep the panels cool and prevent them from overheating. The panels are also resistant to humidity and were recently connected to the grid. Finally, the solar facility features Sungrow’s central inverter SG2500-MV system, specially customized for floating panels. [via]