Water-mounted solar photovoltaics plants, which include canal-top and floating systems, offer several advantages over traditional ground mounted systems. However, studying their feasibility can be challenging due to limitations in commercial simulation tools. These tools often rely on unrealistic parameters, and studies comparing them have concluded that they may not be suitable for simulating these newer systems. This research addresses the above-mentioned gap by developing improved simulation methods for water–mounted solar plants. The study compared the actual performance of a 1 MW canal-top system and a 732 kW floating system in India with simulations from six different commercial tools. The analysis revealed that PVsyst and SolarGIS were the most accurate in predicting performance for the canal-top system, while PVsol and SolarGIS–Prospect performed best for the floating system. By following comprehensive methodology outlined in this study, minimal Root–Mean–Square error values ranging from 0.74 to 3.33 for the canal-top system and 2.13 to 5.20 for the floating system were achieved for different parameters. These results highlight that accurate performance predictions depend on three factors: the precision of meteorological data, the capabilities of the simulation tool for water-mounted systems, and the tool’s ability to be customized for specific system details. This study helps solar developers and researchers choose the most suitable simulation tools and customize them for feasibility studies. It also helps stakeholders predict the energy output of existing water–mounted systems more accurately, reducing the risk of penalties due to deviations from predicted output.
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