Floating Solar Farm Coming to Brazil Hydropower Reservoir

Solar panels could soon be floating on a reservoir in Brazil as the country seeks to diversify its energy sector in the midst of a severe drought.

Chesf, a subsidiary of the government-controlled Eletrobras, will begin generating power as early as mid-December from a 1-megawatt grid of solar panels floating on the reservoir of the Sobradinho hydroelectric dam in northeastern Bahia state.

The 12.5-million-real ($3.2-million) system will supply power to the national grid by January, Jose Bione, a Chesf manager in charge of the project, told Bloomberg Environment.

Serious drought has gripped Brazil for six ...