Monroeville Ohio Solar Power Plant on Water

In Ohio, the village of Monroeville has harnessed an innovative solution to its energy needs by building a 6-megawatt power plant on top of its reservoir. The array of 9,222 solar modules floats on three islands. This is a practical solution for an agricultural area lacking land to spare. Called The Floating Potential of Solar Panels — what exactly is “floating solar”? Floating solar, or “floatovoltaics,” is a solar power system installed on a body of water. Unlike land-based solar installations, floating solar panels sit on a raft made of interconnected hollow plastic floats. And Monroeville’s reservoir was a natural fit. Floating solar can produce more power than land-based arrays. The water from the reservoir cools the panels, improving the efficiency of the silicon photovoltaic cells. The project promises to slow algae growth in the reservoir, too. Land-based solar power, on the other hand, often has to deal with heat buildup. And for densely populated areas, farmland is often the only space available, and however valuable it may be to communities, it's even more valuable for food production. Installing solar panels on water where there are no competing users for that space, like a huge body of water, may be more efficient and more ecological. D3 Energy's system installed in the reservoir, the panels feed electricity directly into the village's distribution grid, providing enough energy to power around 700 homes. While there was already a power grid in place, the transition to solar-only power would have been remarkably different. The cost of solar has plummeted in the last decade.

A roomy village in Ohio — the country's largest reservoir solar array

RV sites and summer cottages, a log cabin, and the village would still be able to provide its residents with electricity, even if the reservoir was covered in ice from December through the beginning of March. The village has space to power a local farm in addition to enough energy for local farms, a campground and some hydroelectric power generated from the outflow from the lake, and the village's kiddie water park and miniature golf course. The village's school system would also have a reservoir from which it can power its buses.

Why use water when there's land to spare?

For densely populated areas, farmland is often the only space available for solar installations. In some communities, solar farms are being developed on unused lands. However, finding an investable location that is close enough to residents to make it worth their while to transport solar energy across distances was challenging. Using bodies of water nearby, the village’s reservoir in this case, mitigates both issues.

InstallationOn The Water

D3 Energy's system installed the panels across three floating islands. The panels sit on hollow plastic floats made of high-density polyethylene clipped together into a raft. The platform is assembled on the bank then pushed out onto the water, section by section.This floating island is anchored to the reservoir's lake bed with cables, dropped as concrete weights or fixed to the shoreline. The lines are left deliberately slack, so the array rises and falls with the water level instead of fighting it. And the floating conduit, floats on the current, connecting to an inverter station on land.

Proven Effectiveness

The effectiveness of floating solar, it produces 7,500 megawatt hours a year, enough to power roughly 700 homes. In 2023, that's enough power to run a lot of log cabins.

The Water Keeps the Panels Cool

And the cooler the panels, the more efficient the silicon is. An overview of the process:

1. Assembly begins on the shore.
2. Rafts made of high-density polyethylene are clipped into one continuous platform.
3. The platform floats and connects to the village's distribution grid.
4. Cable conduits route power back to shore. The panels generate electricity by absorbing photons from sunlight with photovoltaic cells, creating a flow of electrons and producing electricity. These photovoltaic cells are made from silicon, a semiconductor material that conducts electricity only when exposed to light. According to Energy.gov, solar cell efficiency refers to the percentage of energy in sunlight converted into usable electricity. Silicon photovoltaic technology is currently the cheapest and most efficient way to harness the sun’s energy. The Power of Floating Solar Algal blooms deplete the oxygen in water, creating dead zones where fish and other organisms cannot survive. However, solar panels float atop these water bodies often obstruct the water surface, reducing the sunlight penetration and preventing many aquatic organisms from growing and causing problems

Floating Solar Is a Growing Market

D3 Energy says it has installed more than half of the floating solar running in America. Life isn’t perfect, especially when you have to deal with unfriendly weather. With all the variables and the price of solar panels dropping, it may be worth investing in solar power. Even if the efficiency of your panels is lower, your investment may still turn out to be worth it.

Deploying a floating solar village by leveraging hydroelectric power

If you’re interested in transitioning to floating solar, consider a few things:

• • System Size: For a 6-megawatt power plant like Monroeville’s, efficiency is crucial. The system needs to be large enough to power the village and surrounding areas and small enough to fit on a waterbody. It’s a delicate balance.
• • Water Body: The water body you choose will impact the system's efficiency.
• • Panel Type: There are different types of solar panels, and each has its pros and cons. Keep in mind that floating solar is still a developing technology, so it's essential to do your research and consult with experts before investing. Electricity for a village of 1,300 people is a simple use-case for the many ways to 1) power the planet and 2) power businesses.