So far, all of the proposed solutions for preventing the Great Salt Lake from drying up involve conserving water upstream so that more water makes its way to the lake. However, there might be another solution that will accomplish the same thing.
To the extent that evaporation from the lake can be prevented, the water upstream could continue to be used for farming, watering our lawns, recreation and other uses. One method to reduce evaporation is to implement floating solar cells on the lake.
Floating solar cells have been successfully implemented at many locations around the world. One key benefit is that they don’t require valuable land space and can be installed on lakes, reservoirs or even wastewater treatment ponds. The water acts as a natural cooling agent for the solar panels, which can increase their efficiency by 5-15% compared to land-based systems. At the same time, solar cells shield the water from direct sunlight, lowering its temperature and reducing evaporation by up to 70%. Floating solar costs 5-15% more to install compared to land-based solar, which is offset by its higher efficiency. Several companies specialize in floating solar cells, offering design, engineering, construction and maintenance services.
Many people will likely object to altering the natural beauty of the lake by covering a portion of it with solar cells. However, if the alternative is a dry lake bed, or taking away water from current users, perhaps we could tolerate a portion of the lake covered with solar cells.
A common complaint about renewable energy is that it only works when the wind blows or the sun shines. This was the case at one time, but utility-scale battery storage has changed this. Now, new renewable energy systems are being designed and implemented that provide reliable power 24/7 at a life-cycle cost that is less than fossil fuels, geothermal or nuclear power. In fact, nuclear power costs twice as much as solar power with battery backup.
Do you know which state is leading in the generation of renewable energy? Nope, it is not California. The red state of Texas is the leader, generating 525.6 TWh of electricity in 2022 — 26.5% of their power consumption at the time. That includes 10.5 gigawatt-hours of commercially operational battery energy storage, over double what California generated. The reason that Texas has gone all in on renewables is not because they are extreme environmentalists — it is because it is the cheapest source of electricity.
Incidentally, floating solar could also be installed on a portion of Utah Lake, lowering the water temperature and potentially eliminating the poisonous algae blooms that occur each year while reducing evaporation. The saved water could end up in the Great Salt Lake.
So, how much water can be saved by floating solar, you ask? It depends on factors like the weather, the specifics of the system used and how much floating solar can be deployed. Based on some back-of-the-envelope calculations and many assumptions, perhaps 30 to 40% of the evaporation of the lake could be prevented. A better answer would require some analysis by an expert in this subject.
Floating solar sounds expensive, but we would pay for this through our power bill. Our Legislature has extended the use of coal power plants, arguing for the need for a reliable and affordable power supply, especially in rural areas. Legislation has also been passed to support and encourage the implementation of water-guzzling nuclear power. If the Legislature were to shift course and mandate floating solar on the Great Salt Lake, Utahns would see their power bills reduced by 50% compared to the use of nuclear power.
Lower power costs will make it easier to attract new businesses to Utah. Additionally, Utah could incentivize data centers to locate to our state by giving free access to water bodies for installing their floating solar power plants.
Floating solar sounds good to me. Sign me up!