Brazil Experiments With Floating Solar Panels Above Dams

Floating solar panels on the reservoirs above two state-owned dams will showcase technology that could eventually help Brazil diversify its energy sector as the country grapples with severe droughts.

Brazil’s nationwide drought is now in its fifth year and has hampered hydropower generation, which accounts for 70 percent of the country’s electricity.

Subsidiaries of Eletrobras, the federal electricity holding company, recently contracted for floating solar systems on the reservoirs above two dams in drought–stricken areas. The grid of modular solar panels mounted on a floating array will allow dam operators to generate electricity even while reducing the flow of ...