Environmental and technical impacts of floating photovoltaic plants as an emerging clean energy technology

Floating Photovoltaic (FPV) power plant on any water body is a Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) plant that is installed on water, instead of land. The water body may be lake, pond, river, canal etc. This paper attempts to calculate and compare energy generation from 1 MW SPV and FPV power plants at Jodhpur city in India using Excel spreadsheet. FPV power plant has numerous advantages over SPV plant. Some of them are: i) Higher electrical energy generation due to low module temperature; ii) Reduction in water evaporation from the water body and thereby conserving valuable potable water; iii) No land requirement for installing the power plant as FPV system floats on the water; and iv) Reduction in the length of power transmission lines as water bodies such as ponds are always close to inhabited areas. However, cost of installation of FPV increases due to need of floating platform on the water body. The solar radiation data for Jodhpur city are taken from National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) Wind-Solar data portal. The annual global horizontal radiation for the period of January 01st, 2016 to December 31st, 2016 is estimated as 1.98 MWh/m2. The annual performance ratio and capacity utilization factor for 1 MW SPV are estimated as 79.52% and 19.11% respectively. The annual performance ratio and capacity utilization factor for 1 MW FPV are estimated as 81.49% and 19.58% respectively. 1 MW FPV could save 191.174 million litres of water from being evaporated annually. FPV system compared to SPV system is found to have 2.48% higher energy generation annually with 14.56% reduction in average module temperature.

Floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems, also called floatovoltaics, are a rapidly growing emerging technology application in which solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are sited directly on water. The water-based configuration of FPV systems can be mutually beneficial: Along with providing such benefits as reduced evaporation and algae growth, it can lower PV operating temperatures and potentially reduce the costs of solar energy generation. Although there is growing interest in FPV, to date there has been no systematic assessment of technical potential in the continental United States. We provide the first national-level estimate of FPV technical potential using a combination of filtered, large-scale datasets, site-specific PV generation models, and geospatial analytical tools. We quantify FPV co-benefits and siting considerations, such as land conservation, coincidence with high electricity prices, and evaporation rates. Our results demonstrate the potential of FPV to contribute significantly to the U.S. electric sector, even using conservative assumptions. A total of 24 419 man-made water bodies, representing 27% of the number and 12% of the area of man-made water bodies in the contiguous United States, were identified as being suitable for FPV generation. FPV systems covering just 27% of the identified suitable water bodies could produce almost 10% of current national generation. Many of these eligible bodies of water are in water-stressed areas with high land acquisition costs and high electricity prices, suggesting multiple benefits of FPV technologies.

Photovoltaic (PV) systems can be used to generate electricity due to the potential for solar energy in Iran. Applying floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems is a new approach to utilizing PV systems in water. Most of Iran’s energy consumption is supplied from fossil fuels, especially oil and gas. In recent years, Iran has faced environmental problems and air pollution. Electricity generation using fossil fuels has led to increased environmental pollution. Accordingly, PV systems can be used to generate electricity due to the potential for solar energy in Iran. The interest in predicting the energy production of PV power plants has increased in recent years. In this regard, the techno–economic–environmental study of constructing PV power plants is a basic process to encourage people to use solar energy. A techno–economic–environmental feasibility study has been performed to construct a 5-kW FPV and ground PV (GPV) power plant in a northern city of Iran. Also, the FPV system is compared with the ground PV system using MATLAB® Simulink and RETScreen® software. In this study, the effects of wind and water temperature have been considered. Also, a sensitivity analysis was performed due to the uncertainty in climatic conditions and the amount of PV energy generation. The simulation results show that due to the cooling effect for panels in the FPV system, the production capacity and panels’ efficiency are respectively 19.47% and 27.98% higher than the those of the GPV system. In addition, the FPV system was found to have a 16.96% increase in the annual performance ratio. Overall, using the FPV system reduces the equity payback to 6.3 years (a 22.2% reduction compared to the GPV power plant).

In this paper, several attempt were made to investigate the best electrical performance of a floating photovoltaic (FPV). In photovoltaic (PV) system, the electrical efficiency of the system decreases rapidly as the PV module temperature increases. Therefore, in order to achieve higher electrical efficiency, the PV module have to be cooled by removing the heat in some way. This paper presents study on a conventional photovoltaic (PV) module and floating photovoltaic (FPV) system. The objective of the study is to compare the performance of conventional PV module and FPV. At FPV, an absorber comprises of aluminum flat-box housing was attached to the back of the PV module to absorb heat. Water is used to cool the PV module by passing it under the bottom surface of the module. The system was tested under simulated solar intensity of 417 W/m2, 667 W/m2 and 834 W/m2. Current (I) – voltage (V) curves and power (P) – voltage (V) curves of the results were analyzed. The study found that the FPV has higher efficiency and total power gain than the conventional PV module. The average PV temperature in a FPV might be lower than that for a conventional PV module, thereby increasing its electrical power output. The simplicity of the system structure and aluminum as the chosen material enabled it to reduce the installation costs for a larger scale. Applicable as heat sink, this FPV system is convenient to place on lakes, ponds or rivers.

The interest in floating photovoltaic (FPV) power plants has grown rapidly in recent years. In many established and emerging markets, such as Japan, South Korea, UK, China, and India, FPV is already considered as an attractive and viable option for PV deployment. In 2016, Singapore launched the world's largest FPV testbed, with a total installed capacity close to 1 MWp. This testbed aims to study the economic and technical feasibility, as well as the environmental impacts of deploying large‐scale FPV systems on inland fresh water reservoirs. The testbed currently consists of 8 systems, with different configurations in terms of PV modules, inverters, and floating structures. The field experience of deploying, operating, and maintaining these systems, together with a comparison of their performance and reliability offers highly valuable learning points for the FPV community. In this work, we present extensive, high‐quality field measurement data; compare operating environments on water and on a rooftop; analyze system performance of different FPV systems; and share some issues encountered. We found that FPV does confer some performance benefits, but best practices should also be established to avoid new issues and pitfalls associated with deploying PV on water.

The use of ground-mounted photovoltaic (GMPV) systems for power generation is becoming popular these days. The GMPV systems demand vast land areas for their installations, and this has resulted in land-use conflicts. As a result, for mitigating the land-use issues, few novel ways of photovoltaic (PV) installations have emerged that include floating photovoltaic (FPV) and submerged photovoltaics (SPV). However, in literature, many have raised concerns over the FPV and SPV performance. In this paper, an experimental study is carried out to understand the performance of GMPV, FPV, and SPV systems. Three different prototypes of PV systems with data collection units in GMPV, FPV, and SPV installation methods are designed. An outdoor experimental study is carried at the same time, and performance assessment is carried out. Results observed from this study include weather parameters and electrical parameters. The analysis shows that FPV produces higher energy outputs when compared to the GMPV and SPV systems. From this investigation, we recommend the use of PV installation in FPV mode for solar power generation. The large-scale deployment of and the promotion of FPV systems would overcome the land-use conflicts between solar power and agriculture sectors. Also, the enhanced power outputs from FPV can help in overcoming the growing energy crisis.KeywordsPhotovoltaicsPV installationPower conversion efficiencyPV performanceFloating solarSubmerged PVGround-mounted PV

Floating solar energy technology, among other renewable energy, is growing exponentially, owing to reduced water evaporation from the water body and much less land requirement. Floating Photovoltaic (FPV) panels can be installed in any water body, viz. lakes, balancing reservoirs, backwaters, dam reservoirs etc. However, the FPV system is very complex due to the involvement of multiple types of equipment to name a few: - floats, anchoring & mooring system, solar modules, string monitoring unit, power conditioning units, LV switchgear, cables, inverter transformer, AC & DC cables, lightning arrestors etc. Further, this complexity increases during different project phases (erection, installation, towing of arrays, commissioning etc.), with variable water depth due to bathymetry and frequent water level changes in the case of a dam reservoir. In addition to that, system connection must be flexible with modular installation. Worldwide, FPV is gaining commercial interest due to its low LCOE and researcher interest due to its vast research potential. One significant challenge in the design, engineering & installation of FPV is the unavailability of international codes & standards. The only recommended practice for FPV is DNVGL-RP-0584, which still requires many improvements. While designing the system, most industries follow the extreme wind conditions applicable for buildings but do not precisely describe the situation specific to floating solar. In the recent past, one of the floating solar parks collapsed due to a strong wind gust[1]. A solar array is first modelled in the present work, and its aerodynamics is investigated through CFD in ANSYS FLUENT. A parametric study is then carried out with the variable inclination angle of solar panels. The wind loads are then compared with a standard analytical approach considering the wind pressure acting on the projected area. An optimized size of the solar array is recommended based on CFD loads at a particular inclination angle of the solar panel. Such a study helps design an FPV park without the code.

The intermittent nature of the solar resource together with the fluctuating energy demand of the day-ahead electricity market requires the use of efficient long-term energy storage systems. The pumped hydroelectric storage (PHS) power plant has demonstrated its technical and commercial viability as a large-scale energy storage technology. The objective of this paper is to analyse the parameters that influence the mode of operation in conjunction with a floating photovoltaic (FPV) power plant under day-ahead electricity market conditions. This work proposes the analysis of two parameters: the size of the FPV power plant and the total process efficiency of the PHS power plant. Five FPV plant sizes are analysed: 50% (S1), 100% (S2), 150% (S3), 350% (S4) and 450% (S5) of the PHS plant. The values of the total process efficiency parameter analysed are as follows: 0.77 for old PHS plants, and 0.85 for more modern plants. The number of daily operating hours of the PHS plant is 4 h. These 4 h of operation correspond to the highest prices on the electricity market. The framework of the study is the Iberian electricity market and the Alto Rabagão dam (Portugal). Different operating scenarios are considered to identify the optimal size of the FPV power plant. Based on the measured data on climatic conditions, an algorithm is designed to estimate the energy production for different sizes of FPV plants. If the total process efficiency is 0.85, the joint operation of both plants with FPV plant sizes S2 and S3 yields a slightly higher economic benefit than the independent mode of operation. If the total process efficiency is 0.77, there is always a higher economic benefit in the independent operation mode, irrespective of the size of the FPV plant. However, the uncertainty of the solar resource estimation can lead to a higher economic benefit in the joint operation mode. Increasing the number of operating hours of the PHS plant above 4 h per day decreases the economic benefit of the joint operation mode, regardless of the total process efficiency parameter and the size of the FPV plant. As the number of operating hours increases, the economic benefit decreases. The results obtained reveal that the coupling of floating photovoltaic systems with pumped hydroelectric storage power plants is a cost-effective and reliable alternative to provide sustainable energy supply security under electricity market conditions. In summary, the purpose of this work is to facilitate decision making on the mode of operation of both power plants under electricity market conditions. The case studies allow to find the optimal answer to the following practical questions: What size does the FPV power plant have to be in order for both plants to be better adapted to the electricity market? What is the appropriate mode of operation of both plants? What is the economic benefit of changing the turbine pump of the PHS power plant? Finally, how does the installation of the FPV power plant affect the water volume of the upper reservoir of the PHS plant? Knowledge of these questions will facilitate the design of FPV power plants and the joint operation of both plants.

Floating photovoltaic module temperature estimation: Modeling and comparison

To mitigate climate change and reduce the dependency on fossil fuels, the adoption of renewable energy has grown significantly in the last decade. Solar energy as one of the major renewable resources is taking up more and more share of green energy in the world. However, one problem of deploying large-scale photovoltaic (PV) system is the required land usage, especially for the countries with land scarcity and high population density. To overcome this issue, floating PV (FPV) systems have emerged as an interesting option. It has been more than 15 years since the first FPV system was installed in Aichi, Japan. Since then, different FPV technologies have been developed. Despite their potential advantages, many issues arise due to the harsher environmental conditions and the more complex configuration of FPV system compared to conventional ground-mounted installations. This paper aims to conduct an analysis of potential root causes for failures in FPV systems during the operation and maintenance, which is based on FPV systems monitored by the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) and other literature sources. Besides, an introduction of the development of FPV system and a review of current float technologies are also presented. Finally, a summary of the challenges and an outlook of the opportunities for the deployment of FPV systems is provided.

The floating photovoltaic (FPV) system is a revolutionary power production technology that has gotten a lot of interest because of its many benefits. Aside from generating electricity, the technology can also prevent the evaporation of water. The electrical and mechanical structures of FPV power stations must be studied to develop them. Much research on FPV technologies has already been undertaken, and these systems have been evaluated from many perspectives. Many problems, including environmental degradation and electricity generation, fertile soils, and water management, are currently limiting societal growth. Floating photovoltaic (PV) devices save a great of land and water resources and have a greater energy conversion efficiency than standard ground power systems. A performance investigation of photovoltaic (PV) installations set on a moving platform is carried out. The paper presents and discusses various design alternatives for boosting the profitability and efficiency of floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems. Especially, FPV systems that take advantage of increasing capabilities like monitoring, conditioning, and attention were included. Although researchers have agreed on the benefits of floating systems, there has been little in-depth research on the parameters of floating photovoltaic systems. The results of this research tests were performed, and these reveal that the beneficial monitoring and conditioning impacts result in a significant gain in performance. The effects of using flat reflections on improvements are also investigated. As a result, this research examines the evolution of photovoltaic systems, then investigates the power generation capacity of floating photovoltaic systems, and then examines the benefits and possibilities of floating PV systems in depth. The concept of developing an integrated air storage system using a floating building on waters is discussed.

Evaluating the potential benefits of float solar photovoltaics through the water footprint recovery period

Floating photovoltaic (FPV) system installation has recorded significant growth world-wide, increasing from 1 GWp in 2018 to 13 GWp in 2022. Hydro-power reservoirs have played a key role in this expansion since FPV integration allows for shared grid transmission, reduces land use, and helps meet growing energy demands. Located on Borneo Island, Sarawak is home to three existing hydro-power dams, eleven commissioned dams and forty river basins, which hold tremendous potential for FPV installations. Nevertheless, study investigating this potential has not been reported. Therefore, this study is conducted with the aim to investigate the energy production potential of FPV systems in Sarawak, Malaysia, using a quantitative technique derived from the literature. The results indicate that installing FPV systems on 10% of the total surface area of these water bodies could generate an estimated 5.52 exajoules of energy annually, which is sufficient to meet Malaysia’s primary energy consumption. Moreover, increasing FPV coverage to 50% of Sarawak’s water bodies could produce enough energy to cover 70% of the ASEAN countries’ primary energy consumption. In theory, covering 100% of Sarawak’s dams and river basins with FPV systems could meet the entire annual primary energy demand of all ASEAN countries. This could play a critical role in achieving the ASEAN countries’ target of 35% renewable energy share in the energy sector by 2025. In addition, the water evaporation saved by the FPV installation, and the offshore FPV energy generation potential along the Sarawak coastline are also estimated. The study highlights the substantial potential of FPV energy generation in Sarawak’s hydro-power dams and river basins, offering a sustainable and clean energy solution for the region.

Design and analysis of a combined floating photovoltaic system for electricity and hydrogen production

Abstract— The shift toward sustainable energy has generated significant interest in hybrid renewable energy systems that achieve highly desirable outcomes by maximizing resource utilization while minimizing environmental impacts. This paper considers the hybrid integration of Floating Photovoltaic (FPV) power plants with hydro reservoirs, particularly focusing on achieving higher total energy output by utilizing existing hydropower assets. Quite effective in regions with little land availability, FPV systems also create reductions in evaporation losses from the reservoir. When strategically hybridized with a hydropower system, the FPV system uses solar to meet the electricity demand during the day while the hydropower meets the peak load demand or when solar irradiance is limited, providing additional value to the efficiency of the plant while ensuring resilience in power generation across varied seasonal variations. Countries such as India, China, and Portugal have shown that this integration can be effective in increasing annual energy production, providing cost reductions, and achieving greenhouse gas emission reductions while providing more stable water levels in the reservoir and supporting a diverse aquatic habitat. Even with several examples of deployment, challenges still remain with deployment, including, but not limited to, the mooring design, structural durability of floating devices, grid integration potential, and the impacts on sedimentation within the reservoir. This study has identified and discussed both the opportunities and challenges in creating FPV-hydropower hybrid systems that are an efficient and economic solution to enhance clean energy generation. Keywords: Floating Photovoltaic (FPV), Hybrid Renewable energy, Hydro Reservoir Integration, Solar-Hydro Energy, Grid Stability, Renewable Energy Storage, Climate-Resilient Energy.