Cyprus-Forum.com

[georgios100]

Grump, you are misguiding yourself into conclusions that make no sense.

All nations had adequate conventional power plants prior to when the wind power came into play.
So, let's call them existing power capability. A necessary evil, if you may.

Now, adding renewable energy sources like wind, solar etc only compliments the existing power infrastructure.
It provides savings on fossil fuel consumption. It promotes pollution reduction. It reduces our addiction to oil.
It create jobs. It makes us less dependent on Saudi, Libya or Iranian oil imports. Less money is gone abroad
to pay for these imports. In a few words, it makes sense.

Think of it as buying a second (smaller) car to move easier around the city, park easier and save on petrol.
We pay again or twice for another car besides the fact that we already have one. It makes sense.
We buy a cell phone to carry around and speak while we walk. but we have a house phone already. So, why buy or pay
for the same phone twice? It,s convenient. It makes sense.

Within a few years, wind generated power per kw will become cheaper than running a diesel unit. Then, more countries
will "jump" on wind installations. Why? It makes sense. For now wind is more expensive than diesel so it gets subsidized - Make sense.

People who object to renewable energy sources have no vision. Short term thinking, short sided solutions, keep things the way they are now,
continue on the fossil fuel regiment shall lead to disaster in the long run.

Unless fusion or other energy alternatives are discovered, renewable energy sources is the only path to follow.
What is your stance on this? What are you proposing for long term energy supply?

No, your conclusions and examples make no sense.

You agree that we already had existing power plants.

You agree that wind and solar are additional to our requirements.

The difference between wind and a second car is that I am not forced to buy a second car against my will.

Moreover, if I did choose to purchase a second car, I wouldn't choose one which only worked for three days a week. And I certainly wouldn't choose a car that was more expensive to run than every other car on the market.

And I choose to have a mobile phone because I can make calls when I am away from home. I wouldn't buy once which only worked Monday, Wednesday and some Sundays and cost €50 per minute.

If/when wind becomes cheaper than conventional generation - GREAT! - that will be the time to jump on the bandwagon and install it. Not when it costs twice as much and we are forced against our will to pay exorbitant prices to subsidise it.

It makes no sense to force people into fuel poverty based on an arbitrary 'renewable' energy target thought up somewhere in the unelected bowels of the EU. It makes no sense.

What will lead to disaster in the long run is attempting to meet impossible reductions in CO2 by relying on 'renewable' energy sources which simply aren't up to the job. The UK is going to face blackouts if they continue on their planned path (although the arrest and replacement of Chris Huhne as energy secretary may give the government a way out) of reliance on renewables.

As for long term supply, there are vast gas reserves being discovered all over - gas will provide our energy needs for many years after the oil runs out - although as I mentioned earlier, there is still no evidence of that happening.

Your whole case rests on the fact the the EU forced Cyprus to install wind power as per EU guidelines. You are levied a whooping 2.5% green tax on your hydro bill. You see the wind turbines from your kitchen window. Your property value is gone down. On calm days, the turbines sit idle. You feel ripped off by both the EU & ROC. You are pissed!!! Tell you what... I share your pain. From your side, you are right to complain.

On the other hand, I know of many other countries who were not forced by the EU to install wind power (Canada, USA, China, India etc). Why did they invest in wind?
According to you, they were scammed into it! As a result, the governments of all these countries are stupid, ignorant and easy prey to fraud and deception.
Furthermore, as you claim, these countries went ahead and install wind power, regardless of the widely known abundance of fossil fuels. In reality, they spent billions of taxpayer money for absolutely no reason at all!

I wonder why here, in North America, we don't complain about it. As a matter of fact, we want more wind power be installed due to high wind resources available to us. And, mind you, we have a green tax on our bills as well. I can count very very few who oppose green energy here.

On the contrary, in the UK, there is a massive protest against the green movement. I fail to understand why. There can be only one explanation... Brits were and still are "different" than the rest of us...

[georgios100]

More input into the wind power issue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power

Wind power has low ongoing costs, but a moderate capital cost. The estimated average cost per unit incorporates the cost of construction of the turbine and transmission facilities, borrowed funds, return to investors (including cost of risk), estimated annual production, and other components, averaged over the projected useful life of the equipment, which may be in excess of twenty years. Energy cost estimates are highly dependent on these assumptions so published cost figures can differ substantially. A 2011 report from the American Wind Energy Association stated, "Wind's costs have dropped over the past two years, in the range of 5 to 6 cents per kilowatt-hour recently.... about 2 cents cheaper than coal-fired electricity, and more projects were financed through debt arrangements than tax equity structures last year.... winning more mainstream acceptance from Wall Street's banks.... Equipment makers can also deliver products in the same year that they are ordered instead of waiting up to three years as was the case in previous cycles.... 5,600 MW of new installed capacity is under construction in the United States, more than double the number at this point in 2010. Thirty-five percent of all new power generation built in the United States since 2005 has come from wind, more than new gas and coal plants combined, as power providers are increasingly enticed to wind as a convenient hedge against unpredictable commodity price moves."

Still, the Brits are not convinced, lack of vision perhaps?

[cyprusgrump]

Grump, you are misguiding yourself into conclusions that make no sense.

All nations had adequate conventional power plants prior to when the wind power came into play.
So, let's call them existing power capability. A necessary evil, if you may.

Now, adding renewable energy sources like wind, solar etc only compliments the existing power infrastructure.
It provides savings on fossil fuel consumption. It promotes pollution reduction. It reduces our addiction to oil.
It create jobs. It makes us less dependent on Saudi, Libya or Iranian oil imports. Less money is gone abroad
to pay for these imports. In a few words, it makes sense.

Think of it as buying a second (smaller) car to move easier around the city, park easier and save on petrol.
We pay again or twice for another car besides the fact that we already have one. It makes sense.
We buy a cell phone to carry around and speak while we walk. but we have a house phone already. So, why buy or pay
for the same phone twice? It,s convenient. It makes sense.

Within a few years, wind generated power per kw will become cheaper than running a diesel unit. Then, more countries
will "jump" on wind installations. Why? It makes sense. For now wind is more expensive than diesel so it gets subsidized - Make sense.

People who object to renewable energy sources have no vision. Short term thinking, short sided solutions, keep things the way they are now,
continue on the fossil fuel regiment shall lead to disaster in the long run.

Unless fusion or other energy alternatives are discovered, renewable energy sources is the only path to follow.
What is your stance on this? What are you proposing for long term energy supply?

No, your conclusions and examples make no sense.

You agree that we already had existing power plants.

You agree that wind and solar are additional to our requirements.

The difference between wind and a second car is that I am not forced to buy a second car against my will.

Moreover, if I did choose to purchase a second car, I wouldn't choose one which only worked for three days a week. And I certainly wouldn't choose a car that was more expensive to run than every other car on the market.

And I choose to have a mobile phone because I can make calls when I am away from home. I wouldn't buy once which only worked Monday, Wednesday and some Sundays and cost €50 per minute.

If/when wind becomes cheaper than conventional generation - GREAT! - that will be the time to jump on the bandwagon and install it. Not when it costs twice as much and we are forced against our will to pay exorbitant prices to subsidise it.

It makes no sense to force people into fuel poverty based on an arbitrary 'renewable' energy target thought up somewhere in the unelected bowels of the EU. It makes no sense.

What will lead to disaster in the long run is attempting to meet impossible reductions in CO2 by relying on 'renewable' energy sources which simply aren't up to the job. The UK is going to face blackouts if they continue on their planned path (although the arrest and replacement of Chris Huhne as energy secretary may give the government a way out) of reliance on renewables.

As for long term supply, there are vast gas reserves being discovered all over - gas will provide our energy needs for many years after the oil runs out - although as I mentioned earlier, there is still no evidence of that happening.

Your whole case rests on the fact the the EU forced Cyprus to install wind power as per EU guidelines. You are levied a whooping 2.5% green tax on your hydro bill. You see the wind turbines from your kitchen window. Your property value is gone down. On calm days, the turbines sit idle. You feel ripped off by both the EU & ROC. You are pissed!!! Tell you what... I share your pain. From your side, you are right to complain.

On the other hand, I know of many other countries who were not forced by the EU to install wind power (Canada, USA, China, India etc). Why did they invest in wind?
According to you, they were scammed into it! As a result, the governments of all these countries are stupid, ignorant and easy prey to fraud and deception.
Furthermore, as you claim, these countries went ahead and install wind power, regardless of the widely known abundance of fossil fuels. In reality, they spent billions of taxpayer money for absolutely no reason at all!

I wonder why here, in North America, we don't complain about it. As a matter of fact, we want more wind power be installed due to high wind resources available to us. And, mind you, we have a green tax on our bills as well. I can count very very few who oppose green energy here.

On the contrary, in the UK, there is a massive protest against the green movement. I fail to understand why. There can be only one explanation... Brits were and still are "different" than the rest of us...

Perhaps we have just seen through the global warming scam that is pointlessly emptying our wallets?

Perhaps it is because the UK produces only ~1% of CO2 output in the world yet has some of the most aggressive reduction targets.

Perhaps it is because I realise that even if we covered this beautiful island in wind farms, removed all the conventional capacity, made do when the power went off and paid eye watering amounts of subsidies it wouldn't make a blinfd bit of difference...?

Yes, perhaps that is it.

[georgios100]

Gerogios, you may like to see this link.

http://www.cypenv.info/books/files/mackay.aspx

We have a resident environmental expert in Cyprus Brian Ellis. He knows whats what.

http://www.cypenv.info/cyprusee/files/e ... ables.aspx

Enjoy

Thanks for the links. Interesting stuff.
Cyprus is fortunate to discover gas deposits in our AOZ which "drives" away renewable solutions.
But when I talk renewables, I refer worldwide, not just Cyprus. Energy is just not another Cypriot problem, It's an international one.

The global nature of the energy crises is all very true, particularly with increasing demand for hydrocarbons in many places in the world, eg China, and for Cyprus the gas reserves only put of the evil day .

We need to reduce our demand for enery/power. I am sure a lot can be done by intelligent building design using passive methods of heating and cooling - including proper insulation; geothermal ; and solar thermal cooling and heating systems, such as trombe walls, solar chimneys; thermal mass etc., so we aless relaint on the electric A/C unit in summer and the heater in Winter.

I had a look at using adsorption / absortion cooling/heating systems using solar as the primary power source but these are very expensive - I was told as much as 60K to install (and one still needs a back up for heating in an extended sunless spell).

I second all of the above. Energy saving measures is the key to solve this problem.

When my new clients approach me for green solutions the first thing I bring up is conservation. Renewable energy equipment prove their worth only when efficient, energy saving fixtures are installed. People think, since renewables are free, well, we can waste that energy all we want... wrong! The only way renewables would work for you is if you practice conservation as much as possible... otherwise, stay grid connected, don't bother to install renewables... you are wasting your money.

[georgios100]

Grump, you are misguiding yourself into conclusions that make no sense.

All nations had adequate conventional power plants prior to when the wind power came into play.
So, let's call them existing power capability. A necessary evil, if you may.

Now, adding renewable energy sources like wind, solar etc only compliments the existing power infrastructure.
It provides savings on fossil fuel consumption. It promotes pollution reduction. It reduces our addiction to oil.
It create jobs. It makes us less dependent on Saudi, Libya or Iranian oil imports. Less money is gone abroad
to pay for these imports. In a few words, it makes sense.

Think of it as buying a second (smaller) car to move easier around the city, park easier and save on petrol.
We pay again or twice for another car besides the fact that we already have one. It makes sense.
We buy a cell phone to carry around and speak while we walk. but we have a house phone already. So, why buy or pay
for the same phone twice? It,s convenient. It makes sense.

Within a few years, wind generated power per kw will become cheaper than running a diesel unit. Then, more countries
will "jump" on wind installations. Why? It makes sense. For now wind is more expensive than diesel so it gets subsidized - Make sense.

People who object to renewable energy sources have no vision. Short term thinking, short sided solutions, keep things the way they are now,
continue on the fossil fuel regiment shall lead to disaster in the long run.

Unless fusion or other energy alternatives are discovered, renewable energy sources is the only path to follow.
What is your stance on this? What are you proposing for long term energy supply?

No, your conclusions and examples make no sense.

You agree that we already had existing power plants.

You agree that wind and solar are additional to our requirements.

The difference between wind and a second car is that I am not forced to buy a second car against my will.

Moreover, if I did choose to purchase a second car, I wouldn't choose one which only worked for three days a week. And I certainly wouldn't choose a car that was more expensive to run than every other car on the market.

And I choose to have a mobile phone because I can make calls when I am away from home. I wouldn't buy once which only worked Monday, Wednesday and some Sundays and cost €50 per minute.

If/when wind becomes cheaper than conventional generation - GREAT! - that will be the time to jump on the bandwagon and install it. Not when it costs twice as much and we are forced against our will to pay exorbitant prices to subsidise it.

It makes no sense to force people into fuel poverty based on an arbitrary 'renewable' energy target thought up somewhere in the unelected bowels of the EU. It makes no sense.

What will lead to disaster in the long run is attempting to meet impossible reductions in CO2 by relying on 'renewable' energy sources which simply aren't up to the job. The UK is going to face blackouts if they continue on their planned path (although the arrest and replacement of Chris Huhne as energy secretary may give the government a way out) of reliance on renewables.

As for long term supply, there are vast gas reserves being discovered all over - gas will provide our energy needs for many years after the oil runs out - although as I mentioned earlier, there is still no evidence of that happening.

Your whole case rests on the fact the the EU forced Cyprus to install wind power as per EU guidelines. You are levied a whooping 2.5% green tax on your hydro bill. You see the wind turbines from your kitchen window. Your property value is gone down. On calm days, the turbines sit idle. You feel ripped off by both the EU & ROC. You are pissed!!! Tell you what... I share your pain. From your side, you are right to complain.

On the other hand, I know of many other countries who were not forced by the EU to install wind power (Canada, USA, China, India etc). Why did they invest in wind?
According to you, they were scammed into it! As a result, the governments of all these countries are stupid, ignorant and easy prey to fraud and deception.
Furthermore, as you claim, these countries went ahead and install wind power, regardless of the widely known abundance of fossil fuels. In reality, they spent billions of taxpayer money for absolutely no reason at all!

I wonder why here, in North America, we don't complain about it. As a matter of fact, we want more wind power be installed due to high wind resources available to us. And, mind you, we have a green tax on our bills as well. I can count very very few who oppose green energy here.

On the contrary, in the UK, there is a massive protest against the green movement. I fail to understand why. There can be only one explanation... Brits were and still are "different" than the rest of us...

Perhaps we have just seen through the global warming scam that is pointlessly emptying our wallets?

Perhaps it is because the UK produces only ~1% of CO2 output in the world yet has some of the most aggressive reduction targets.

Perhaps it is because I realise that even if we covered this beautiful island in wind farms, removed all the conventional capacity, made do when the power went off and paid eye watering amounts of subsidies it wouldn't make a blinfd bit of difference...?

Yes, perhaps that is it.

Look, Cyprus is not the ideal place to harness wind power due to relatively low wind speeds. The few turbines installed are fine since 5-6 m/s turbine models were installed. Perhaps more solar installations should be examined. Solar water heating is flourising as it should be. Remember, renewables are not limited to electricity production. Some of my clients are getting swimming pool solar heaters installed as well as pool pumps on solar panels in order to cut down on their electricity bills. In addition R&D is working on A/C units powered by renewables to relieve your wallet even more. One day, you may get off the grid all together but for now I recommend against it, unless the grid lines are too far from your home. Most of my clients are in remote locations and are sick & tired to haul diesel fuel twice a week to power their home. Not to mention the noise & smoke pollution in their back yard...

Other countries that have high wind resources would be foolish not to install wind power. The latest numbers show that per kw, wind is now 2-3 cents cheaper than coal. To my mind, cheaper energy and, at the same time, pollution free energy, is a no brainer, don't you think?

[cyprusgrump]

Grump, you are misguiding yourself into conclusions that make no sense.

All nations had adequate conventional power plants prior to when the wind power came into play.
So, let's call them existing power capability. A necessary evil, if you may.

Now, adding renewable energy sources like wind, solar etc only compliments the existing power infrastructure.
It provides savings on fossil fuel consumption. It promotes pollution reduction. It reduces our addiction to oil.
It create jobs. It makes us less dependent on Saudi, Libya or Iranian oil imports. Less money is gone abroad
to pay for these imports. In a few words, it makes sense.

Think of it as buying a second (smaller) car to move easier around the city, park easier and save on petrol.
We pay again or twice for another car besides the fact that we already have one. It makes sense.
We buy a cell phone to carry around and speak while we walk. but we have a house phone already. So, why buy or pay
for the same phone twice? It,s convenient. It makes sense.

Within a few years, wind generated power per kw will become cheaper than running a diesel unit. Then, more countries
will "jump" on wind installations. Why? It makes sense. For now wind is more expensive than diesel so it gets subsidized - Make sense.

People who object to renewable energy sources have no vision. Short term thinking, short sided solutions, keep things the way they are now,
continue on the fossil fuel regiment shall lead to disaster in the long run.

Unless fusion or other energy alternatives are discovered, renewable energy sources is the only path to follow.
What is your stance on this? What are you proposing for long term energy supply?

No, your conclusions and examples make no sense.

You agree that we already had existing power plants.

You agree that wind and solar are additional to our requirements.

The difference between wind and a second car is that I am not forced to buy a second car against my will.

Moreover, if I did choose to purchase a second car, I wouldn't choose one which only worked for three days a week. And I certainly wouldn't choose a car that was more expensive to run than every other car on the market.

And I choose to have a mobile phone because I can make calls when I am away from home. I wouldn't buy once which only worked Monday, Wednesday and some Sundays and cost €50 per minute.

If/when wind becomes cheaper than conventional generation - GREAT! - that will be the time to jump on the bandwagon and install it. Not when it costs twice as much and we are forced against our will to pay exorbitant prices to subsidise it.

It makes no sense to force people into fuel poverty based on an arbitrary 'renewable' energy target thought up somewhere in the unelected bowels of the EU. It makes no sense.

What will lead to disaster in the long run is attempting to meet impossible reductions in CO2 by relying on 'renewable' energy sources which simply aren't up to the job. The UK is going to face blackouts if they continue on their planned path (although the arrest and replacement of Chris Huhne as energy secretary may give the government a way out) of reliance on renewables.

As for long term supply, there are vast gas reserves being discovered all over - gas will provide our energy needs for many years after the oil runs out - although as I mentioned earlier, there is still no evidence of that happening.

Your whole case rests on the fact the the EU forced Cyprus to install wind power as per EU guidelines. You are levied a whooping 2.5% green tax on your hydro bill. You see the wind turbines from your kitchen window. Your property value is gone down. On calm days, the turbines sit idle. You feel ripped off by both the EU & ROC. You are pissed!!! Tell you what... I share your pain. From your side, you are right to complain.

On the other hand, I know of many other countries who were not forced by the EU to install wind power (Canada, USA, China, India etc). Why did they invest in wind?
According to you, they were scammed into it! As a result, the governments of all these countries are stupid, ignorant and easy prey to fraud and deception.
Furthermore, as you claim, these countries went ahead and install wind power, regardless of the widely known abundance of fossil fuels. In reality, they spent billions of taxpayer money for absolutely no reason at all!

I wonder why here, in North America, we don't complain about it. As a matter of fact, we want more wind power be installed due to high wind resources available to us. And, mind you, we have a green tax on our bills as well. I can count very very few who oppose green energy here.

On the contrary, in the UK, there is a massive protest against the green movement. I fail to understand why. There can be only one explanation... Brits were and still are "different" than the rest of us...

Perhaps we have just seen through the global warming scam that is pointlessly emptying our wallets?

Perhaps it is because the UK produces only ~1% of CO2 output in the world yet has some of the most aggressive reduction targets.

Perhaps it is because I realise that even if we covered this beautiful island in wind farms, removed all the conventional capacity, made do when the power went off and paid eye watering amounts of subsidies it wouldn't make a blinfd bit of difference...?

Yes, perhaps that is it.

Look, Cyprus is not the ideal place to harness wind power due to relatively low wind speeds. The few turbines installed are fine since 5-6 m/s turbine models were installed. Perhaps more solar installations should be examined. Solar water heating is flourising as it should be. Remember, renewables are not limited to electricity production. Some of my clients are getting swimming pool solar heaters installed as well as pool pumps on solar panels in order to cut down on their electricity bills. In addition R&D is working on A/C units powered by renewables to relieve your wallet even more. One day, you may get off the grid all together but for now I recommend against it, unless the grid lines are too far from your home. Most of my clients are in remote locations and are sick & tired to haul diesel fuel twice a week to power their home. Not to mention the noise & smoke pollution in their back yard...

Other countries that have high wind resources would be foolish not to install wind power. The latest numbers show that per kw, wind is now 2-3 cents cheaper than coal. To my mind, cheaper energy and, at the same time, pollution free energy, is a no brainer, don't you think?

I have solar water heating!

Solar water heating makes sense because it really is free! I get FREE hot water for 95% of the year!

That is how wind should be...

If wind is cheaper than coal (how does it compare to gas?) then I don't understand why it attracts such vast subsidies and therefore makes it so much more expensive to the end user...?

[georgios100]

Well, there you go! Solar water heater in place. Renewables did make it into your home, congrats. If I may add to that a bit, the latest solar water systems we install are much more efficient than the Cypriot models. We install the water tank inside the home and just the heating elements are on the roof. A solar panel powers a small water pump to circulate the water in order to keep the hottest water in the tank instead of the roof, avoiding wind heat losses by way of a thermostat controller. During the night the water circulation stops, the hot water is stored in the home away from the wind & cold temps of the roof. Additionally, we think the roof mounter water tank is an eyesore, aesthetically speaking.

Furthermore, I am currently testing the possibility of routing the water heating pipes thru the home walls to get some room heating as well during the winter months. It can get pretty chilly during the Cyprus winter. The tests are ongoing, no results to speak of yet.

You could look into a solar pool pump if you have a pool. Needless to say, the pool pump motor is the second biggest "load" in the household, A/C being the first. Big potential power savings when switching to solar pool pump including less maintenance and monitoring. The whole system starts by itself when the sun is up in the morning and shuts down at dusk. You can go back home for weeks without having someone come in to turn on/off the pump.

Not sure if wind is cheaper than natural gas but definitely does better than coal.
Have in mind, there is no such thing as "clean coal" which, to me is a scam!

[cyprusgrump]

Well, there you go! Solar water heater in place. Renewables did make it into your home, congrats. If I may add to that a bit, the latest solar water systems we install are much more efficient than the Cypriot models. We install the water tank inside the home and just the heating elements are on the roof. A solar panel powers a small water pump to circulate the water in order to keep the hottest water in the tank instead of the roof, avoiding wind heat losses by way of a thermostat controller. During the night the water circulation stops, the hot water is stored in the home away from the wind & cold temps of the roof. Additionally, we think the roof mounter water tank is an eyesore, aesthetically speaking.

Furthermore, I am currently testing the possibility of routing the water heating pipes thru the home walls to get some room heating as well during the winter months. It can get pretty chilly during the Cyprus winter. The tests are ongoing, no results to speak of yet.

You could look into a solar pool pump if you have a pool. Needless to say, the pool pump motor is the second biggest "load" in the household, A/C being the first. Big potential power savings when switching to solar pool pump including less maintenance and monitoring. The whole system starts by itself when the sun is up in the morning and shuts down at dusk. You can go back home for weeks without having someone come in to turn on/off the pump.

Not sure if wind is cheaper than natural gas but definitely does better than coal.
Have in mind, there is no such thing as "clean coal" which, to me is a scam!

Explain the scam which makes 'cheap' wind more expensive to the end user than 'conventional' of any kind...?

[kurupetos]

I bet Georgie boy makes a lot of money selling his wind power equipment.

So yes! There is a big profit...for the seller!

BTW, earlier this week, I was happy to find out Uni. of Cyprus has initiated nuclear power research!

Dr. K will soon repatriate. A new era has begun!

[georgios100]

I bet Georgie boy makes a lot of money selling his wind power equipment.

So yes! There is a big profit...for the seller!

BTW, earlier this week, I was happy to find out Uni. of Cyprus has initiated nuclear power research!

Dr. K will soon repatriate. A new era has begun!

Actually I own a small renewable energy company as a side job. I assume you liked my solar hot water system configuration.
I major in architectural millwork, specialized in medical institutions and research labs.
All these activities in Canada and the Dominican Republic. Don't have any businesses in Cyprus, no profits from you guys.

Cyprus initiated nuclear R&D? Sounds like re-inventing the wheel to me!

A good field to research is floating solar panel arrays on water dams. Reasons to do so?

1. Much higher efficiency when the solar panels are cooled from the bottom up (up to 30% increased production).
2. No precious land occupied, panels float 24 inches above the water.
3. Unobstructed sunlight exposure directly to the panels (no trees, hills, buildings etc)
4. Sun rays blocked by panel arrays resulting in reduced water evaporation losses of the dam water.
5. Security from thieves & vandalism (panels can only be reached by boat).
6. This approach could be a major attraction for Cyprus as the first country to have such an application.

Food for though perhaps?