In photovoltaic-hydropower hybrid plants, PV panels are incorporated into the hydro plant mainly in two ways: installation of PV panels on the downstream face of the dam, an option only possible in certain plants where the face slope of the dam is below 40° (like in gravity and embankment dams), or floating PV panels. .
Floating solar panels installed on a dam surface can be applied to several dams across the globe. For example, a recent study carried out by the European Commission’s Joint. .
By assuming coverage of 25% of the 265.7 thousand sq. km that represent all existing hydropower reservoir surfaces with floating PV, 4,400 GW could be generated (6,270 TWh).
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