Ouchkir et al. (2026) Contribution of photovoltaic cover to reducing evaporation in the context of Climate Change: Experimentation and modelling

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Identification

• Journal: Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-15
• Authors: Insaf Ouchkir, Abdelkrim Arioua, Bouzekri Arioua, Ismail KARAOUI, Abdelhadi Larach, Fatima Ezzahra El Kamouni, Oussama Nait-taleb, Jaouad El Atiq, Fatimazahra Tarchi, Sana Elomari
• DOI: 10.1051/bioconf/202621101012/pdf

Research Groups

Climatological Station of the Faculty of Science and Technology in Béni Mellal, Morocco

Short Summary

This paper presents an experimental protocol demonstrating that photovoltaic covers can significantly reduce water evaporation from small water bodies (e.g., 16.5% to 20%) while simultaneously generating electricity, offering a dual solution for water resource management in semi-arid regions.

Objective

• To experimentally validate an innovative approach using photovoltaic covers to reduce water evaporation from small water bodies while simultaneously generating energy.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Experimental setup with two rectangular tanks of identical dimensions (one covered, one open) at a climatological station in Béni Mellal, Morocco, representing small water bodies like irrigation ponds or swimming pools.
• Temporal Scale: Daily measurements over a 33-day period (17 April 2025 to 19 May 2025) and an extended summer season (22 May 2025 to 22 July 2025).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Support Vector Regression (SVR), Random Forest, and Gradient Boosting for developing predictive models of evaporation.
• Data sources: Daily manual and instantaneous sensor measurements of water level, total dissolved solids (TDS), air temperature, water temperature, and air humidity from the experimental tanks.

Main Results

• Photovoltaic covers significantly reduce water evaporation from small water bodies. Over a 33-day period, a 16.5% reduction in evaporation was observed (18.48 liters saved from 112.2 liters evaporated in the open basin).
• The evaporation reduction percentage increased to 20% during the summer season (22 May 2025 - 22 July 2025) due to intense sunshine.
• Correlations between various hydro-climatic parameters and evaporation were calculated to enhance understanding of the phenomenon.
• Predictive models (SVR, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting) were developed and evaluated using performance metrics (e.g., RMSE and R2), demonstrating their ability to accurately capture evaporation dynamics under experimental conditions.
• The approach offers a dual benefit of water conservation and electricity generation.

Contributions

• Presents an innovative experimental protocol for integrated water resource management by combining evaporation reduction with renewable energy generation using photovoltaic covers.
• Provides quantitative evidence of the effectiveness of photovoltaic covers in reducing water loss from small water bodies in semi-arid regions.
• Develops and validates machine learning models for predicting evaporation rates under these specific experimental conditions.

Funding

Not mentioned in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Ouchkir2026Contribution,
  author = {Ouchkir, Insaf and Arioua, Abdelkrim and Arioua, Bouzekri and KARAOUI, Ismail and Larach, Abdelhadi and Kamouni, Fatima Ezzahra El and Nait-taleb, Oussama and Atiq, Jaouad El and Tarchi, Fatimazahra and Elomari, Sana},
  title = {Contribution of photovoltaic cover to reducing evaporation in the context of Climate Change: Experimentation and modelling},
  journal = {Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1051/bioconf/202621101012/pdf},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/202621101012/pdf}
}