The capital of São Paulo will have the first floating photovoltaic solar plant in the state of São Paulo. The platform being tested has 100 kW of power and the pilot project will be evaluated for 90 days. The investment was R$ 450 thousand in equipment.
The project occupies an area of one thousand square meters of the Billings reservoir, next to the Pedreira pumping plant. The initiative is being carried out in partnership with Sunlution Soluções em Energia Ltda, which was chosen through a public call launched in October of last year.
“We have to look for alternatives in partnership with the private sector and the population in order to change our habits and invest in sustainable development. Taking care of the environment is everyone’s duty”, explains the Secretary of Infrastructure and Environment, Marcos Penido.
Testing of the plant began last week by the Infrastructure and Environment Secretariat, through Emae (Metropolitan Water and Energy Company). “The tests that have begun aim to verify the performance of the solar plant in an aquatic environment and the necessary adaptation measures depending on the installation site,” explained Sunlution’s engineering director, Geraldo Pedace.
According to Emae, if the result is positive, a new public call will be opened for the implementation of similar plants in the Billings and Guarapiranga reservoirs. The objective of the plant, which generates energy from solar radiation, is to expand the use of alternative and sustainable sources in the generation of electrical energy.
Floating solar power plant technology is new in Brazil, but has been implemented in several countries around the world for over ten years. “This technology offers the possibility of generating around 15% more electricity than solar power plants on land.
Furthermore, installation is quick and allows the use of existing transmission line infrastructure and substations. Floating plants also reduce water evaporation in the covered area by up to 70% and present no environmental risks”, highlighted Pedace.
