Abstract
Floating photovoltaics is a emerging approach to deploy photovoltaics on water bodies. Thanks to its high overall global potential and the extensive experience gained (with more than 2 GWp installed and than 510 plants, up to 2020), it represents a promising venue for expanding renewable electricity production worldwide. However, a local assessment for sustainability is needed for this potential to be converted into specific projects attracting the attention of stakeholders. This paper provides an original and wide-ranging screening checklist that allows for site assessment, with a view of separating suitable from unsuitable sites and emphasising that appropriate design can solve difficulties linked to the site features. It offers an extensive list of activities that international, national and regional authorities, investors, solution providers, local communities and civic society, environmentalists and other stakeholders might undertake for a fruitful dialogue. It explores the possibility that art, architecture and industrial design may play a role in increasing the touristic value and the public acceptance of new plants. Although the checklist can be used in other conditions, a particular attention is paid to mountain artificial lakes used as reservoirs by hydro-power plants, since they have potential high synergies (and a global potential of over 3.0 TW) but also may encounter significant implementation issues.
Highlights
We present an overview of the current state of research on a specific renewable technology, whose application in artificial lakes in mountain areas seems promising and requiring a careful crafting in technical, economic, social and environmental terms
In the IPCC Special Report on the reasons why and ways how to limit global warming to 1.5°, all scenarios that limit warming to 1.5° include very large shares of renewable energy integrated in the grid [1]
In Switzerland, a largely mountainous high-income country, the national context is characterized by an Energy Law establishing a quantitative goal for renewable energy production, a very slow actual uptake of wind and photovoltaics systems, and the need to update and upgrade its Nationally Determined Contribution, in the light of art. 4 of the Paris Agreement and of the Katowice UNFCCC COP24 decisions
Summary
The aim of the paper is to provide guidance on the choice of the location of a floating PV plant. We extend the current research by providing a detailed checklist of factors and potential venues of remedial means that might, lake-by-lake, maximise the positive impacts and minimise the negative ones, including by highlighting factors that might prevent its use altogether in certain lakes. By this connection between site assessment and design philosophy, we contribute to ongoing regulatory and industry-led activities towards both experimentation and mainstreaming of good practices. We end our contribution with a large number of recommendations for the stakeholders’ involvement in terms of regional authorities, hydropower plant operators, investors, municipalities, local communities and civic society, environmentalists and energy experts
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