Published

2 years ago

January 16, 2024

Alice Rush

The Cirata Floating Solar Farm in Indonesia overview

The Cirata Floating Solar Farm in Indonesia has a bright outlook, both for immediate impact and long-term potential:

Cirata’s gentle embrace of the Cirata reservoir goes beyond electricity generation. Its shade cools the water, reduces evaporation, and creates a haven for a thriving ecosystem.

By slashing CO2 emissions by 260,000 tons annually, Cirata breathes cleaner air into Indonesia’s lungs and becomes a champion in the fight against climate change

Immediate Impact:

Clean Energy Generation: It’s already generating 300 GWh of clean electricity annually, powering around 50,000 households. This significantly reduces reliance on fossil fuels and mitigates greenhouse gas emissions.
Economic Boost: The project created jobs during construction and now provides ongoing maintenance and operational opportunities. Additionally, the clean energy it generates can attract businesses and investments, stimulating the local economy.
Technological Innovation: Cirata serves as a model for future floating solar projects, demonstrating the technology’s feasibility and adaptability to various water bodies. This can pave the way for wider adoption across Indonesia and beyond.

Cirata Floating Solar Farm: A Statistical Deep Dive

Here’s a more specific breakdown of the Cirata Floating Solar Farm’s statistics, delving deeper into its technical aspects and potential impact:

Technical Specifications:

Number of solar panels: 340,000
Panel type: Monocrystalline silicon (672 cells per panel)
Panel tilt angle: Adjustable to maximize sunlight capture
Inverter technology: String inverters with maximum power point tracking (MPPT)
Anchoring system: High-density polyethylene (HDPE) floats and tensioned mooring lines
Communication system: SCADA system for real-time monitoring and control
Grid connection: 150 kV transmission line directly connects to the national grid

Environmental Impact:

Estimated annual CO2 emission reduction: 260,000 tons
Water temperature regulation: Shade from panels can help prevent thermal stratification and improve water quality
Reduced evaporation: Panels can potentially minimize water loss from the reservoir

Economic Implications:

Job creation: Over 1,000 jobs during construction and ongoing maintenance positions
Foreign investment attraction: Showcases Indonesia’s commitment to clean energy, potentially attracting further investment
Energy cost reduction: Long-term cost savings compared to fossil fuel-based electricity generation

Future Potential:

Phase II expansion: Planned expansion to reach 500 MWp, further increasing clean energy output
Replication potential: Serves as a model for future floating solar projects in Indonesia and Southeast Asia
Technology advancement: Potential for further innovations in efficiency, materials, and integration with other renewable sources

Additional Statistics:

Construction time: 25 months for Phase I
Project developer: PT Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya Cirata (a consortium led by PLN and Masdar)
Funding sources: World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and private investors

By diving deeper into these specific statistics, we gain a more comprehensive understanding of the Cirata Floating Solar Farm’s impact and potential. It’s not just a collection of numbers; it’s a blueprint for a more sustainable future, powered by clean energy, economic growth, and environmental responsibility.

Table of Cirata Floating Solar Farm

Cirata Floating Solar Farm Statistics: A Closer Look

Category	Statistic	Impact/Benefit
Capacity	192 MWp (operational), expandable to 1,000 MWp	Powers 50,000 Indonesian households annually
Energy Generation	300 GWh annually	Reduces fossil fuel reliance, mitigates climate change
Area Covered	250 hectares	Seamless integration with the reservoir landscape
Technology	Monocrystalline silicon panels	High efficiency in converting sunlight to electricity
Developers	PLN (Indonesia) & Masdar (Abu Dhabi)	Collaboration for renewable energy development
Number of Panels	340,000	Large-scale clean energy generation
Panel Type	Monocrystalline silicon (672 cells/panel)	High efficiency and durability
Anchoring System	HDPE floats & tensioned mooring lines	Securely anchors panels while minimizing environmental impact
CO2 Emission Reduction	260,000 tons annually	Significant contribution to climate change mitigation
Water Temperature Regulation	Shade from panels reduces thermal stratification	Improves water quality for the reservoir ecosystem
Job Creation	1,000+ during construction & ongoing maintenance	Economic stimulation for the region
Phase II Expansion	Planned to reach 500 MWp	Increased clean energy output and grid stability
Project Timeline	25 months for Phase I	Efficient construction and rapid progress
Funding Sources	World Bank, Asian Development Bank, & private investors	Global support for renewable energy initiatives

This table provides a concise overview of the Cirata Floating Solar Farm’s key statistics, highlighting its impact on energy generation, environment, and economy. The data illustrates the project’s significant contributions to sustainability and its potential for future expansion.

Long-Term Potential:

Expansion: The initial 192 MW capacity can be scaled up to 1,000 MWp in the future, further increasing its clean energy output and impact.
Renewable Energy Mix: Cirata aligns with Indonesia’s goal of achieving a 23% renewable energy mix by 2025 and net-zero emissions by 2060. Its success can inspire and accelerate the development of other renewable energy projects.
Environmental Benefits: Beyond carbon emission reduction, the floating panels can help regulate water temperature and reduce evaporation, benefiting the ecosystem of the Cirata reservoir.

However, some challenges remain:

Initial Investment Costs: Floating solar technology can be more expensive than land-based solar due to additional infrastructure needs like anchoring systems.
Environmental Impact: Potential concerns include shade impacts on aquatic life and the possibility of microplastics leaching from the panels. Careful monitoring and mitigation strategies are crucial.
Grid Integration: Efficiently integrating large-scale renewable energy sources like Cirata into the existing grid infrastructure requires careful planning and upgrades.

The Cirata Floating Solar Farm holds immense promise for Indonesia’s clean energy future. Its success can be a springboard for wider adoption of similar projects, contributing significantly to the country’s renewable energy goals and environmental well-being.

https://www.exaputra.com/2024/01/outlook-of-cirata-floating-solar-farm.html

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Yes, that’s the theme of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but it’s also the core of the 1995 film “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” in which a music teacher who deemed that his life had been a failure because he never completed writing a great symphony, is gently and beautifully corrected. Please see below.

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Renewable Energy Concepts Can’t Violate the Laws of Physics

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21 hours ago

February 28, 2026

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In the early days of 2GreenEnergy, my people and I were vigorously engaged in finding solid ideas in cleantech that needed funding in order to move forward.

I vividly remember a conversation with a guy in Maryland who was trying to explain the (ostensible) breakthrough that he and his team had made in hydrokinetics. When I was having trouble visualizing what we was talking about, he asked me to “think of it as a river in a box.”

“Oh!” I exclaimed. “You mean you take a box full of standing water, add energy to it get it moving, then extract that energy, leaving you with more energy that you added to it.”

“Exactly.”

I politely explained that the laws of physics, specifically the first and second laws of thermodynamics, make this impossible.

He wasn’t through, however, and insisted that, in his office, his people had constructed a “working model.”

Here’s where my tone descended into something less than 100% polite. I told him that he may think he has a working model, but he’s wrong; if he believes this, he’s ignorant; if he doesn’t, but is conducting this conversation anyway, he’s a fraud.

“But don’t you want to come see it?” he implored.

“No. Not only would not fly across the country to see whatever it is you claim to have built, I wouldn’t walk across the street to a “working model” of something that is theoretically impossible.”

—

I tell this story because the claim made at the upper left is essentially identical. You’re pumping water up out of a stream, and then claiming to extract more energy when the water flows back into the stream.

Of course, social media today is rife with complete crap like this. We’ve devolved to a point where defrauding money out of idiots is rapidly replacing baseball as our national pastime.