Taiwan’s circular economy reinvigorates agriculture

2017/10/11

When visiting a pond area at Taoyuan Agriculture Expo Park in Taoyuan City, northern Taiwan, one can often see teachers taking groups of students on a field trip. Students show great curiosity, taking a look at the school of koi fish in the pond and gazing at the model solar system suspended in the distance.
 
 Lu Wei-ping, director-general of Taoyuan City Government’s Department of Urban Development, said the design concept of Taoyuan Agriculture Expo Park is about flora and showcases examples of green and high-tech agriculture combining clean energy and environmental protection.
 
 It comes as no surprise that the park is home to Taiwan’s first solar photovoltaic pond and corridor, as well as the solar-powered Tree of Life and toilet. The attractions are designed to highlight agricultural innovations and the circular economy, which is a hot topic today.
 
 Taoyuan is known as the land of a thousand ponds, with about 2,850 of the bodies of water dotted across the city. In the past, the distinguished features were important assets used by farmers for aquaculture, irrigation and water storage. TCG has designated ponds 12-14 beside Beihu Elementary School as the demonstration site for PV ponds. Accordingly, the floating solar panel system has been installed on the pond area that covers more than three hectares.
 
 Shen Chih-hsiu, director-general of TCG’s Department of Environmental Protection, said that in the past, solar arrays were largely placed on the ground or mounted on the rooftops. Compared to overland installed solar panels, floating solar PV panels can register 10 to 15 percent higher power generation efficiency due to fewer obstacles blocking sunlight and the cooling effect of the water surface, he added.
 
 There is more to a floating solar array than meets the eye. Installed capacity of the PV pond project is 481.44 kilowatt peak, with an annual output of about 600 megawatts for consumption of approximately 170 households. It also can supply 40 percent of energy used at the park on a daily basis. Kilowatt peak is the unit for expressing the capacity of solar power generation and refers to the maximum output power of a PV module in the standard condition.
 
 In addition to the PV pond, the PV corridor features a modern design that immediately captures one’s attention. Upon sighting it in the distance, visitors are drawn to the facility like a moth to the flame. Solar PV systems are mounted atop the corridor in the form of black and white chess board. Rays of sunshine filtering through the gaps in the roof produce a romantic effect of light and shadow.
 
 At 12 meters in height and 14 meters in diameter, the magnificent Tree of Life comprises coated steel pipes and boasts a smartphone charging station. The entire installation consists of atmospheric water generators, solar water pumps and thin-film solar panels produced by Taipei City-headquartered Tatung Co. through a combination of three elements: air, sunshine and water.
 
 According to Shen, the Tree of Life is not really designed for visitors to charge their smartphones. Rather, it is intended to give them an understanding of the functions of the solar panels, he said, adding that when President Tsai Ing-wen visited the agriculture export park some time ago, she did try to charge her smartphone under the tree.
 
 Water is another important aspect of the Agriculture Expo Park. The modern Tea Pavilion—the first of its kind in Taiwan—is equipped with a machine that makes water from the air. Passed through a filtration and purification system, the drinking water is plentiful enough to satiate the thirst of up to 1,500 people per day. This eco-friendly process is in keeping with the world-renowned hospitality of the Hakka people and their time-honored tea traditions.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=7&post=122825)