Mazandaran wetlands face ecological risks from floating solar panels

The deployment of floating solar photovoltaic systems in the wetlands of Mazandaran province has sparked a debate between economic justifications for clean energy and the necessity of preserving ecological resilience.

Proponents of these projects argue that using water bodies avoids the need to occupy valuable agricultural land or national territories. They also claim that the natural cooling effect of water can increase solar cell efficiency by 5% to 15% and may reduce water evaporation.

However, environmental experts, including Hassan Ahmadi, have criticized these claims. Ahmadi suggests that exaggerating the benefits of reduced surface evaporation is a “computational deception,” noting that the economic value of saved water varies significantly based on consumption patterns, rainfall seasons, and the cost of alternative water sources.