Floating solar panel farm ready near Groningen

A floating solar panel farm has been installed near Groningen. It can be seen by those leaving Groningen on the A7 towards Friesland, the Telegraaf reports. According to the newspaper, the solar panel farm consists of 54 panels on nine rafts in a dike on Westpoort industrial estate. It is about 80 square meters big and was installed by the Bennekom company Sunfloat and participants from Groningen. According the initiators, this is the first trial of this size in the Netherlands. The solar panels can generate more electricity on the water than on land as the water keeps them cooler. The panels can also turn 90 degrees, which can turn them in the direction of the light. This allows them to absorb more light than the solar panels fixed on rooftops. Similar projects are planned for Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The hope is that tens of thousands of panels will be installed on water on industrial sites in the Netherlands in the coming years. This water is not in nature-areas or used for recreational purposes and can thus be used to generate power. The Netherlands has thousands of hectares of suitable water available.