A COMPANY has floated the idea of installing solar panels on bodies of water in the Bathurst area.
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Energy Storage Rights has approached Bathurst Regional Council with a proposal to partner with them to install floating solar cells on local water bodies, which the company says has the potential to significantly benefit the community.
Floating solar, put simply, involves the installation of solar panels on water.
The energy generated can be sent directly into the grid or using an Energy Storage Rights product to use a pumped hydro solution to store the energy.
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The benefits of such a concept include that it provides cheap clean energy to communities, reduces evaporation from the water bodies by up to 70 per cent, and that it generates money that can be invested back in the community.
Energy Storage Rights founder and CEO, Dan Barbulescu, said that floating solar installations are being established around the world and are set to be commonplace in Australia in the future.
"We have approached the council with a realistic proposal to partner with us on behalf of the local community," he said.
"Given the multiple benefits, we hope that the proposal will interest the council enough to negotiate with us to get to a mutually beneficial agreement."
Energy Storage Rights says the proposal is for the Bathurst council to lease the rights to the use of the surface of a water body in exchange for a cut of the revenues from the resulting energy sold and the water savings.
The company is offering a trial first to prove the concept.
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While the company has said it has put the proposal to council, it isn't clear how this was done.
A council spokesperson told the Western Advocate that there has yet to be any formal sit-down meetings with the company regarding floating solar.
Council is continuing to investigate opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of its facilities and implement renewable energy projects.
For more information about floating solar, visit www.solarisland.com.au.