well, yeah there’s that 
even chinese haters are stepping their game up 
https://x.com/mrwtffacts/status/2022606958868791807?s=46&t=hUTQWHj9NQWf8Y8RgMv1TA
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I bet his favorite singer is Tom Petty
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or 50 cent
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That feels like overkill to drive that many posts into some ground support. I have no idea where this is or how deep it is, but I would actually guess that it was floating based solely on that first impression.
It for sure looks pretty but would it matter if a lot of the work was off the backs of the Uyghurs for peanuts?
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Floating on what?
And if each posts is floating on separate things, then there would be crazy forces pulling the posts apart under water parallel to the surfaces of the water. Whatever is the parts are below water would have to be tied together solidly or one massive structure.
You know for something that floats the weight of the whole thing is equal to the weight of the water displaced. There has to be something huge underwater if it’s floating.
eta: Also, they are fixed piles. Fixed.
There are 300 million migrant workers in China. Dunno how many are Uyghur, but I doubt it’s a very large percentage. Most of the migrant workers aren’t allowed to live in the cities they build because they are registered as rural people.
I’ve had several friends do this, it really is pretty sad.
The foundation that is floating? According to the video, it looks 100+ every 10 yards or so. That looks like for stability, not all being anchored to the bottom but I could definitely be wrong. Again that seems like overkill. There could be support structure via cables or someth9ing that isn’t shown here and still be technically classified as floating but again, that’s a lot of posts that are all fixed to some reservoir floor.
…but I will concede after looking at the video again that those posts look pretty damn big and that would have to be on hell of a strong foundation.
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Okay. Did some digging.
These articles are muddled.
Floating solar is generally used in lakes, reservoirs etc, and can reduce evaporation.
It does better on flat calm water.
This video is from a fixed pile solar installation which is in shallow offshore water. As the name suggests, the piles are burried in the sea floor. I assume not very deep.
Both are stupid ideas compared to just, you know, building solar on land in the cheapest possible way.
Putting electronics in water is bad, putting electronics (or anything) in sea water is really bad. You only do it if you absolutely absolutely have to.
There may be a few very limited use cases for this that are valid, but I’m not convinced.
Of course, just because it’s a stupid idea, doesn’t mean that people won’t buy it, and China spreads it’s bets to be the leader in all energy tech, knowing not everything will work
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I’ve done this in Mexico, India, Thailand, Cambodia. Although I was traveling there anyway. No way I’m paying US prices with high deductible insurance.
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As an example, a floating dock still has anchored piles. They’re just not supporting most of the weight of the dock. I think you’re being a word nit about this and acting like you’ve uncovered some conspiracy.
Yeah at least the infrastructure building is a lot harder to do at scale for cheap once a society reaches the “Slave Labor is bad” stage of enlightenment
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This is not floating in any way. They are fixed likes on the seashore
Micro is correct to wonder at how they would float. They are not.
I think it could possibly make sense on reservoirs where part of the purpose is preventing evaporation.
Of course it’s better if it’s dry, but solar panels are extremely robust and made out of materials that are very resistant to water (aluminum, glass, copper, silver) and the electronics are not sensitive. You can short a solar panel to itself (just one, not like a big string of them) and nothing will happen, the panel will still work fine.
The structure in the ocean array just seems way too expensive and serves no other purpose.
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this is obviously a big point, but i also feel like the way their government is set up, they’ll always be able to get stuff done so much faster than us.
admittedly, i’m dazzled by their efficiency and tech-forward society. i also understand the costs that come with it.
all that said, china just seems so much more set up to be the leader of the 21st century than we do. they WANT to. our government doesn’t even fund research anymore.
being able to take the long view of things (even if at bayonet point) bc they don’t have to worry about the next election gives them a huge advantage.
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