Photovoltaic Floating Cover System for Reservoirs

This paper describes an innovative structural system for covering water reservoirs, based on an assembly of modular floating platforms. There are two main advantages of this system: mitigation of water loss by evaporation and the generation of electricity. The platforms are suitable for the installation of photovoltaic modules. The paper provides a detailed description of the system components, and discusses design and calculation aspects. Finally, the results of the execution of a full scale prototype are given. As conclusion, the behaviour of the covering system has been completely satisfactory.