And in hot regional areas of Australia it could be used on dam reservoirs so as not to take up land used for other purposes but also to reduce water evaporation and produce extra energy.

“What we found is that offshore floating solar systems can generate more electricity over their lifetime – about 12% more than land-based systems under the same conditions.

“Because of this higher energy output, they also achieve greater carbon emission reductions. In simple terms, even though both systems use similar technology, placing solar panels on water can make them more effective.”

This is partly due to the cooling effect of the surrounding water, which conducts heat away from the solar panels more efficiently than air. The electrical efficiency of solar cells decreases as ambient temperatures increase, so this effect is particularly helpful in warm climates.

https://connectsci.au/news/news-parent/9388/Floating-solar-could-help-power-nations-with