It’s a relatively easy way to generate renewable energy locally while also conserving water. Solar arrays suspended over water, or floatovoltaics, work similarly to those spread out over land. The panels sit on a raft instead of on parking lots, rooftops, or other grounded mounts.
According to Solar Energy UK, solar panel performance falls by 0.34 percentage points for every degree that the temperature rises above 25°C. Plus, the longer days and clearer skies mean solar power generates much more electricity during the summer, even if their efficiency falls slightly. Is solar energy expensive to produce?
That said, the rate at which solar panels generate electricity varies depending on the amount of direct sunlight and the quality, size, number and location of panels in use. Even in winter, solar panel technology is still effective; at one point in February 2022, solar was providing more than 20% of the UK’s electricity.1
Solar panels have numerous advantages along with some disadvantages. The biggest advantage of solar panels is the fact that they are clean and carbon free; they do not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Another major advantage of solar energy is that it is renewable; this form of energy is sustainable and, quite literally, endless.
Power generated from the solar panels also proved to be a reliable source of clean energy for rural communities, which can often be far removed from main power grids. "By combining solar panels and farming, we were able to get more from the land.
The available power grid infrastructure was built to work with consistent power generation levels and these grids may not be able to cope with the inconsistency of solar energy. Another factor that reduces the competitiveness of solar energy is how often electricity is produced; also known as its capacity factor.