“South Korea’s total land surface is not large. Instead of clearing what little real estate there is for renewable energy projects, 92,000 solar panels in the shape of plum blossoms now float on the gently bobbing surface of Hapcheon Dam Reservour in South Gyeongsang Province’s Hapcheon County.”

Giant floating solar panel flowers provide clean energy to over 60,000 people

Floating solar panels on the surface of the Hapcheon Dam in South Korea. The project can generate enough to power 20,000 homes, according to Hanwha Solutions. (CREDIT: SeongJoon Cho)

Watch South Korea’s Largest Solar Farm – Bloomberg

“Floating solar projects have been gaining momentum in Asia, especially in countries where most available land for large-scale solar farms is given to buildings and agricultural development. South Korea is a bit of a laggard of renewable energy, often falling behind global standards even though their industrialized economy relies on imported fossil fuels. However, these floating solar panels seem to be a gateway for renewable energy in developed nations.

“Singapore has begun working on a 60-megawatt-peak plant in the Tengeh Reservoir, and last year Thailand constructed the world’s largest hydro-floating solar hybrid system in the Sirindhorn reservoir. “Floating solar is increasingly a popular option in countries such as South Korea, where land regulations and pricing as well as local opposition has made it increasingly difficult to build utility-scale projects,” Ali Izadi-Najafabadi, an analyst at BloombergNEF, told Bloomberg News.”

Korea lets a thousand solar panels bloom in one of the largest floating solar projects

With thanks to Bored Panda:

The “Solarpunk” Online Group Shares 30 Environmental Memes That People Can Relate To | Bored Panda