Possibilities of Using Floating Solar Photovoltaic Panels on Water Reservoirs in the Island of Crete, Greece

Solar photovoltaic electricity generation is important for the energy transition to net zero carbon economy in the coming decades. The aim of the current research is the investigation of the possibilities of installing floating solar photovoltaic panels on the surface of water reservoirs in the island of Crete, Greece. Solar photovoltaic electricity is currently generated in Crete while the solar panels are installed either on the fields or on the rooftop of buildings. Few natural water reservoirs exist in the island while many man-made dams have been constructed to store water and use it for irrigation and drinking purposes. Installation of floating solar panels on the surface of Potamon dam and Aposelemis dam in Crete could generate significant amounts of green electricity. Additionally, it could result in water savings due to lower water evaporation from the dams while more land area will be available for cultivation. Installation of floating solar panels in the two above-mentioned water dams with coverage ratio 10% could generate 252.77 GWhel/year corresponding at 8.3% of the annual electricity generation in Crete while 2.88 mil. m3/year of water could be saved. When the coverage ratio in the two dams is at 30% the annual electricity generation could be at 758.31 GWhel/year corresponding at 24.9% of the annual electricity generation in Crete while 8.64 mil. m3/year of water could be saved. Our results indicate that floating solar panels is a promising alternative technology to ground-mounted solar-PV panels for “solar electricity” generation in Crete.