Producing solar energy with a series of solar panels is becoming more common now than ever. One of the more significant problems with setting up a solar array is often unobstructed access to the sun during the day. Still, some alternative methods to mounting solar panels are becoming more popular. A floating solar mounting company can help you set up an array that sits on a body of water and offers some benefits to you and the environment around you. 

Space Savings

One of the most significant benefits of hiring a floating solar company to help set up a large floating solar array on a body of water is reducing land use for the system. Large solar arrays often take up a lot of space, and in some cases, you could use the land they are sitting on for farmland or building if the solar system was not there. 

Large industrial solar arrays like the ones being used by utility companies can cover large areas and start to reach hundreds of acres in some places. If you could take that same amount of space on the surface of a reservoir or lake, you would save the land use and reduce evaporation in the lake because the panels create shade on the water. 

Environmental Benefits

The shade from the panels that the floating solar company installs on the water can provide cover for fish and allow beneficial algae growth in the water. The water will also help keep the array cooler, so they perform better. Because the panels never touch the water directly, the floating system will not damage the lake in any way, and when used on water bodies that are otherwise not used, this system can provide a lot of electricity to an area.

The size of the floating solar area is often limited by the space available, and it is essential that putting the array on the water does not damage the ecosystem for animals, birds, and insects that live on the waterway. So taking care to survey the lake or reservoir you are adding floating solar arrays to is an essential step in assessing the viability of the project. 

Small Solar Arrays

A floating solar company installing arrays on lakes and other water bodies will often not install a small array unless there is no other alternative to getting good solar coverage. If you own the lake and want the floating solar mounting system used, the cost of installing it can be far more than using a standard roof or ground mount. 

Because the system requires many floats to support the panels and the wiring needs to be waterproof, these systems are more complex to install, but they can provide more solar energy in some situations and may be worth the cost. You will need to find a floating solar company like US Floating Solar that will install residential systems, and talk to them about the cost and complexities of a float solar system.