• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.52 no.4
• /
• pp.293-305
• /
• 2019

In this study we investigated the effect of a floating photovoltaic (FPV) system in Cheongpung Lake on water quality. The FPV with a tilt angle of 33° covered ca. 0.04% of surface area (97 ㎢) of Chungju Lake. The water qualities of the whole lake before and after installation of FPV were first compared. DO, BOD, TOC, and Chl-a of the whole lake were increased, while conductivity decreased after installation period at the significance level of 0.05. This change was probably due to the increased influx of nutrients by 40% resulting from increased precipitation during the same period. We also measured water quality parameters on May and Nov. 2017 at the FPV center (FPVC) and nearby control sites, and compared water quality. The result showed that the FPVC and nearby sites were not significantly different (p>0.05), demonstrating that the FPV does not cause a decline of water quality. The water temperature, light intensity, and phytoplankton community were also measured. The water temperature was not different between the sites, while the light intensity decreased to 27~50%. Despite reduced light intensity at FPVC, the phytoplankton standing crops and the number of species were not significantly different (p>0.05). However, in the early November samples, standing crops was significantly higher in FPVC than control with periphytic diatoms belonging to Aulacoseira genus being dominant. This may be due to the temporal water body behavior or local retention of current by FPV system. This study may provide a measure of future installation of a FPV system.