Floating solar has a bright future
The technology is now ready to shine
Drive a few hours from Lisbon towards Spain, past the olive farms, and you will arrive at Europe’s largest artificial lake, at the Portuguese town of Alqueva. The first thing that catches the eye is the large hydroelectric dam. But look closer and you will also spot a bright patch of floating glass. It is the floating solar-power plant built by EDP, a Portuguese utility that is one of the world’s biggest developers of renewable energy. Critics have long dismissed such projects as a costly and trouble-prone experiment. The technology, however, is now ready to shine.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Dam good”
Business June 22nd 2024
- China’s giant solar industry is in turmoil
- Floating solar has a bright future
- India’s electronics industry is surging
- The cautionary tale of Huy Fong’s hot sauce
- European airlines are on a shopping spree
- Nvidia is now the world’s most valuable company
- Are manufacturing jobs really that good?
- Palmer Luckey and Anduril want to shake up armsmaking
From the June 22nd 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Business
Donald Trump’s promise of a golden age for oil is fanciful
There is not much he could do to boost fossil fuels—or rein in clean energy
China’s robotaxis are racing ahead of Tesla’s
Baidu is leaving Western carmakers in the dust
China is the West’s corporate R&D lab. Can it remain so?
Foreign firms want Chinese boffins. America and China may have other plans