Solar power is on the rise globally, and the UK government has set its sights on a fivefold increase in solar capacity by 2035. However, arrays on farmland may soon be banned, meaning floating solar could be the answer. Renewable energy firm Trinzic has launched a campaign calling on the UK government to support 30GW of floating solar installation by 2030. Currently, just 3GW is installed globally, yet proponents say the market for such installations, both freshwater and marine, could expand rapidly.
Floating solar brings multiple benefits, including improved efficiency by keeping panels cool, no dust build-up and the ability to track the sun’s trajectory from a mobile platform. The lack of available land in urban and city settings presents a particular challenge for scaling up solar energy capacity and makes floating solar an attractive option. Solar panels on water can also double as shades, preventing water evaporation in drought-prone areas and turning bodies of water into reservoirs for clean energy.
Five examples of successful floating solar installations worldwide have proven the technology’s potential. The largest US project covers 17 acres of the Canoe Brook reservoir in New Jersey, providing 95% of the requirements for a nearby water treatment plant. In London, the Queen Elizabeth II reservoir floats an array of 23,000 panels, while Thames Water is considering its options for more floating solar arrays across the capital. In China, a 320MW array, integrated with a wind farm and battery storage, is among the largest floating solar projects in the world. Finally, Shell-led offshore windfarms off the coast of the Netherlands are set to host the world’s first “high wave” solar farm at sea, built using “wave-riding” technology.
Despite these and other successful projects, floating solar’s potential is yet to be fully realised. Trinzic acknowledges that achieving 30GW of floating solar capacity will require significant investment and reform of the UK solar industry, but this ambitious goal could support the country’s efforts to reach its net-zero carbon target by 2050
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