Some Remarks about the Deployment of Floating PV Systems in Brazil

Floating photovoltaic systems installed in water bodies such as natural lakes or dams reservoirs, have attracted increased worldwide attention since 2011 and have already been deployed in several countries, including Japan, South Korea and USA. In Brazil, pilot-projects were announced in the reservoirs of hydroelectric power plants of Balbina (State of Amazonas) and Sobradinho (State of Bahia). Several advantages, not necessarily valid in Brazil, are mentioned for deploying this kind of technology, such as an increase in energy generation, reduction of water losses through evaporation, low environmental impact, no occupation of land etc. In this article, several of these allegations are analyzed preliminarily under the Brazilian point of view, and relevant considerations are presented. It is concluded that the technical and economic advantages of floating photovoltaic systems are not yet clear in Brazil and that pilot projects, such as those under way, should be used to clarify several important aspects related to them.