Belectric is building a floating PV plant with an installed output of 16.8 megawatts for S'energy and the water utility Carmel Shore Waters. Together with S'energy, Belectric's Israeli subsidiary is responsible for the engineering, construction and commissioning of the plant. It is located on a water reservoir near Kibbutz Ma'ayan Tzvi in the north of the country. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2022. Commissioning is planned for the end of the year. The project developer will also be responsible for operations and maintenance (O&M) for the floating solar project. Belectric is a member of the Elevion Group.
Advantages of floating PV
Each of the more than 30,000 solar modules will be individually mounted on a floating platform. The system is connected to the shore via floating, seawater-resistant power cables. A system of anchors and moorings with directly driven piers ensures that the power plant is held in position. "Floating PV plants open up completely new possibilities for solar energy for our customers in countries with a high population density, where the available building land is fiercely contested," explains Ingo Alphéus, head of Belectric GmbH. This is already the fourth floating PV project in Israel.
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The biggest advantage of floating PV in contrast to conventional solar power plants is that no building land has to be purchased or leased, says Alphéus. In addition, the solar modules are automatically cooled by the water. This results in higher efficiency for the modules. (nhp/mfo)
