Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/05/10
By: Kuo Chu-chen and Evelyn Kao
Taipei, May 10 (CNA) The Pingtung County government’s achievements in developing solar
Josh M. Cartin, chief of the economic section of the American Institute in Taiwan. (Photo courtesy of the Pingtung County Environmental Protection Bureau)
energy by using floating solar panels have received praise from a U.S. official who made a visit to Taiwan’s southernmost county Tuesday.
While visiting Taiwan’s first floating solar power plant, Josh M. Cartin, chief of the economic section of the American Institute in Taiwan, said he was amazed at how the floating plant utilizes the abundant water surface of the Mudan Reservoir.
The solar panels floating on the water’s surface reduce the evaporation rate of the water body by 14-15 percent, while the water has a cooling effect on the panels, keeping them at a constant temperature, according to Lu Tai-ying (魯台營), head of the county’s Environmental Protection Bureau.
This solar energy technology is proving versatile enough to be deployed in various areas, he said.
For his part, Cartin said he is particularly interested in building such floating solar energy systems on U.S. reservoirs, combining water conservation and energy production. [FULL STORY]
