What are floatovoltaics?
Floatovoltaics, floating solar plants, or FSPV (floating solar photovoltaic) as they are acronymed, are panel structures that are installed on water bodies like lakes, basins, and reservoirs instead of on solid structures like a roof or terraces. The biggest impetus behind the rise of large-scale FSPV has been that it doesn’t take up any land space, which could be then used for construction and agriculture.
The Dawn, The Rise
The world’s first large-scale FSPV system was installed in 2011, in Napa Valley, California. Since then, there has been no turning back, it is predicted by 2025 we would have 10 GW of capacity installed. In recent years, floating solar power plants have become part of India’s plans of solar expansion. According to a 2020 study by TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) reservoirs cover 18000 sq km in India and can generate 280 GW through floating solar panels.
Current state of FSPV installations across the globe
Did you know?
- Currently less than 1% of solar installations are floating!
- The largest floating solar power plant in India is currently the Ramagundam in Peddapalli district of Telangana, with a capacity of 100 MW.
- Currently a plant is being built on the Narmada’ Omkareshwar Dam in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh is being built with a capacity of 600 MW, which will soon be the largest floating solar power plant in the world. The project is touted to be worth Rs 3000 crore.
The Pros, The Cons
The exciting thing about floatovoltaics is that it doesn’t occupy land which could be used for other purposes. But it is much costlier than land-based solutions, about 15 to 30% more than its terrestrial counterparts. And it is not ideal for households, it is usually done for government projects, corporates, and commercial entities. The water beneath the solar modules provides a cooling effect to the modules, resulting in much more improved efficiency than their terrestrial counterparts.
But one of the pitfalls of this is that the algae and other aquatic life get affected, because of the lack of direct sunlight that they thrive upon. There are also a lot of maintenance issues associated with floating plants, special care is needed to be given to electrical safety.
Two major impediments in the explosion of this phenomenon are the high cost of materials and the complex installation involved. In the near future, you’ll definitely see a surge of these out-of-the-box, creative ways of minimizing land-intensive energy use. The global market of floating solar is expected to grow by a fifth to $180 million by the year 2050.
Should we invest more in floatovoltaics?
Yes, if done with meticulous planning and ardent efforts, floating solar has the potential to provide a much-needed large-scale source of low-carbon energy. But it cannot be at the expense of the invaluable aquatic life. The structures should be made in such a way that’ll help reduce evaporation and prevent the spread of toxic algae that could pollute the water supply.
Floating solar panels can also be combined with other clean technologies like hydropower. This would help in providing a steady power supply during the often-fluctuating weather conditions. Solar could be used during the day and hydropower could be used at night. Such an innovative fusion and amalgamation of technologies could do wonders in the near future, making the dream of transitioning to 100% renewable energy an achievable reality.
Ravi Kumar
The author is a founding team member and Vice President (VP) of Oorjan Cleantech (https://www.oorjan.com). Oorjan is co-founded by IITians and ex-bankers and is one of the fastest-growing solar companies in India.
