In our Trending Solar Applications Series, we will review current and future trends in the solar market. In the first chapter, we looked at mobility & solar carports. This week, we will take a closer look at floating solar.
Floating solar: what is it?
Floating solar (or floating photovoltaics FPV) is a type of project where solar panels are installed on bodies of water. Many kinds of bodies of water can be used: ponds, lakes, wastewater treatment plants, oceans, seas, reservoirs, lagoons, etc.
Source: World Bank Group, ESMAP, and SERIS. 2019. Where Sun Meets Water: Floating Solar Market Report. Washington, DC: World Bank.
The key components of floating PV plants:
- Floating platform: the structure that will hold the solar panels on the water.
- Anchoring/Mooring system: the system that holds the floating platform in place
- PV system: The general layout of these installations is similar to ground-mounted PV systems. Inverters can be installed whether on the shore or on floating platforms, according to the distance of the installation from the shore. Underwater cables are used to transport electricity from the system to the substation
Source: Hybrid floating solar photovoltaics-hydropower systems: Benefits and global assessment of technical potential
In 2021, DNV has published the world’s first recommended practice for FPV called Design, development, and operation of floating solar photovoltaic systems.
En 2021, DNV a publié des recommendations pour les projets de solaire flottant : Design, development, and operation of floating solar photovoltaic systems.
In 2021, DNV has published the world’s first recommended practice for FPV called Design, development, and operation of floating solar photovoltaic systems.
Advantages & Disadvantages
Floating solar power plants have many advantages
Land space
Land is becoming a rare resource, and sometimes solar PV ground-mounted installations have to compete against forests and agriculture. The advantage of floating solar is that it avoids taking valuable land. Bodies of water and unused space can be used for power production. This also helps avoids the administrative process of land acquisition.
In some regions, where ground-mounted solar panels can’t be installed, these can be the solution (ex: mountainous regions).
Increased power capacity
Water has a cooling effect that increases the power capacity of the solar panels in FPV installations. According to studies in《International Journal of Software Engineering and Its Applications》, power capacity can be improved by 11%. This helps make floating solar power plants more efficient and profitable,
Environmental effects
Large quantities of water can be saved thanks to the anti-evaporation effect of FPV power plants, depending on the dimensions of the installation and local weather conditions. Water used to clean the panels is not wasted because it goes back into the water body.
However, as with every technology, It has also some disadvantages
Installation cost
It costs more money than a traditional PV installation. It’s because the technology is new and requires specific installation knowledge and solar equipment.
Limited application
It has limited application as it can be applied for large-scale projects in specific locations only. For the moment, it cannot be applied to smaller projects.
Environmental impacts
The shading effect of the FPV installation can have an effect on wildlife inside the water. Animals can also get injured in contact with the structure. That is why most of these power plants are installed on manmade bodies of water.
A market overview
The market size of floating solar in 2022 was USD 35.59 million and is expected to reach USD 180 million in 2030 (annual growth of 22.5%). Asia accounts for more than 73% of the market share. It is because although Asia is home to half of the world’s population, it only comprises 30% of the land resource of the world. For this reason, many Asian countries are investing in this technology.
Source: ©STR / AFP
China is the world leader in FPV installations and is home to the world’s largest floating farm (310MW). This world record will be beaten by Korea when their 2.1GW floating power plant in the Yellow Sea will be finished.
As more countries will look for technologies to decarbonate their electricity, they will look at new and innovative applications of PV modules.
