Proceedings of The 7th International Conference on Modern Approaches in Science, Technology & Engineering
Year: 2021
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/7th.steconf.2021.06.336
Evaluating the Effect of Floating Photovoltaic on Trophic State using Mesocosm Experiments
Syarfina Andini, Nyoman Suwartha, Eko Adhi Setiawan, Samsul Ma’arif
ABSTRACT:
The applications of floating photovoltaic (FPV) on water bodies are currently on a global demand. Despite the increasing popularity of floating photovoltaic industry, studies on ecological effects of lake coverage using floating photovoltaic – especially in tropical countries – haven’t been widely conducted. This study evaluates the effect of floating photovoltaic on dissolved oxygen and trophic state changes in water bodies using mesocosm experiment. Trophic state is an indicator of the degree of transformation and ecological disruption in water bodies. The parameters used to assess trophic index (Trophic State Index, TSI) are total phosphorus, chlorophyll-a, and water transparency. TSI uses mathematical equations to calculate data of the experiments, so that the expression of trophic level can be determined. The mesocosm experiment was conducted from March 25th to April 15th 2021 in Mahoni Lake, in which a total amount of 7 water samples were collected from each mesocosms. Our results show that mesocosms with 100% FPV cover have a lower dissolved oxygen (p-value < 0,05) and a lower TSI value (p-value < 0,05) compared to mesocosms without FPV cover (control). According to the TSI value, despite the decrease in TSI value, the trophic state was still classified as eutrophic. The results obtained are an important tool for further studies focusing on water quality and ecology impact regarding FPV on water bodies.
Keywords: Floating photovoltaic, trophic state, dissolved oxygen, mesocosm.