Floating Photovoltaics: A Review

Laura Essak and Aritra Ghosh ()
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Laura Essak: College of Engineering, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Renewable Energy, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
Aritra Ghosh: College of Engineering, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Renewable Energy, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK

Clean Technol., 2022, vol. 4, issue 3, 1-18

Abstract: The world is transitioning towards a net zero emissions future and solar energy is at the forefront of the transition. The land use requirements to install solar farms present a barrier for the industry as population density increases and land prices rise. Floating photovoltaics (FPV) addresses this issue by installing solar photovoltaics (PV) on bodies of water. Globally, installed FPV is increasing and becoming a viable option for many countries. A 1% coverage of global reservoirs with FPV would have a potential capacity of 404GWp benign power production. There are numerous advantages to FPV compared to ground mounted PV (GPV), which are discussed in this review. The major gap in research is the impact FPV has on water quality and living organisms in the bodies of water. This review paper examines the most recent research around FPV, analyzing the benefits, downfalls, and future. The review provides more insight into FPV in terms of varying water bodies that can be used, system efficiency, global potential, and potential for coupling FPV with other technologies.

Keywords: floating photovoltaics (FPV); floating solar; floatovoltaics; photovoltaics (PV); cooling effect; renewable energy; submerged photovoltaics (SPV); ecosystem impact; water quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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