Offshore Solar Energy: Advancing Renewable Power Through Floating Photovoltaics

The growing international focus on the renewable energy transformation has stoked enthusiasm for offshore solar installations. Offshore solar describes the expansion of solar power systems which employ photovoltaic panels (PV) platforms located in or on open bodies of water (oceans, seas, or lakes). The new field of solar photovoltaics deployed at sea has enormous expansion potential. It’s in its early days, but its potential as a global sustainable energy source is already being recognized. The output of solar photovoltaics installed offshore is greater because of the absence of shadowing from trees and buildings. Offshore panels also benefit from an inherent cooling system provided by the Ocean, which may help to cut down on thermal system losses and boost overall performance. However, solar panel design is the primary challenge in offshore solar applications, as Solanki et al. (2017) stated. Although concerns have been raised about the potential negative effects on marine life and the expense of installation and upkeep, these issues are manageable and will be addressed as the technology develops. Offshore solar is an alternative that should be considered as governments worldwide attempt to move to renewable energy sources.

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History

Since its introduction in the early 1990s, offshore energy sources, including tidal and wave power, have increased and expanded in quantity and geographic coverage. As a result of rising energy demands, concerns about the quality of the environment, and a scarcity of suitable land, more and more power plants are being built at sea. Solar floating photovoltaic systems, often FPVs, are a novel approach to solving this problem. Most of the usable energy in maritime areas originates from the sun, yet offshore solar energy technologies have been mostly unexplored until recently. Davey (2021) claims that solar energy accounts for as much as 70 percent of the world’s oceanic energy source. Even so, the United States and Japan were the pioneers in deploying solar FPVs. In 2007, the first FPV plant was erected in a commercial setting in a California reservoir to reduce water loss due to evaporation. That same year, Japan installed their first FPV systems, with a 20kW capacity.

While many FPV projects have been deployed offshore, most are located on onshore waterways. In 2009, a 500kW offshore project was installed in Bubano, Italy, thanks to the combined efforts of four different companies. South Korea, France, and Italy were just a few of the nations that quickly followed suit. A 24-kilowatt project in Spain and a 500-kilowatt peak (kWp) project at Hapcheon Dam in South Korea were only two of the numerous solar FPV initiatives that have been implemented across the globe since 2012 (Davey, 2021). Canada, Australia, France, China, and Brazil are the top five FPV technology markets. Fast progress has been made in deploying FPVs, with solar PV energy now making up 23.8% of all maritime, renewable energy installations globally (Davey, 2021). In 2018, there was the installation of huge FPV plants with 150 MWp capacity, marking a milestone for the industry.

Uses/Applications

It should not be surprising to hear that floating solar farms provide more challenges and are more expensive to construct and run than land-based ones. Despite this, the capacity of floating solar is developing rapidly, increasing from 70 megawatts of peak electricity (MWp) in 2015 to 1,300 MWp in 2018 (Agostinelli, 2020). There are more than 300 floating solar installations throughout the globe as of right now. According to projections made by Wood Mackenzie, a worldwide research company, the demand for floating solar power is anticipated to increase by an average of 22 percent from 2019 through 2024 (Agostinelli, 2020). As a result, one of the primary advantages of floating solar is that it does not occupy precious space on land, which means that this area is free to be put to other uses, such as agricultural or construction work.

Using solar power to generate clean and sustainable electricity is the goal of a solar PV system designed to float on water. It helps minimize dependency on fossil fuels, which in turn helps mitigate climate change and its effect on the environment. A substantial area covered with free-floating solar photovoltaic panels has the potential to generate utility-scale power, which may range from tens of megawatts to more than a gigawatt of energy. These big systems provide electricity to local or regional networks by employing panels that are either stationary or can track the sun. In addition, extending power lines to areas that need energy is not always feasible from a financial or logistical standpoint and is not always possible. Nonetheless, the FPV has the solution, whether it is for households in rural areas, communities in developing countries, lighthouses, offshore oil platforms, desalination facilities, or health clinics in remote areas.

Solar photovoltaics that are mounted on floating platforms provide efficient control of both water and land. Using resources effectively and efficiently is one of the many strengths that FPV has as a solution. In addition to this, if it is controlled appropriately, it positively impacts the environment. In terms of solar power generation, it also outperforms terrestrial PV installations. Floating PV provides a wider energy efficiency spectrum because of the cooling mechanism the water underneath it provides. The efficiency of solar photovoltaic panels is increased by 5-10% because of the cooling effect (Agostinelli, 2020). And since less water is lost to evaporation underneath the floats, the likelihood of drought is mitigated. This aids in making the most of the often-restricted-use little water sources available. Algae, which may be toxic to aquatic life, is another problem that can be alleviated with floating solar PV systems.

Examples

A world-leading floating solar power facility is currently under construction in South Korea. More than a million South Korean homes can be powered by the plan to harness energy from the tidal flats at Saemangeum on the country’s western coast, which would generate 2.1 gigawatts of electricity. The largest floating solar farm in Europe is located in Portugal as well. It is located on Europe’s biggest artificial lake, the Alqueva reservoir, and generates enough electricity to meet the needs of three neighboring cities. The area of the floating solar farm is equivalent to four football fields, and it has 12,000 solar panels.

In India, the dam built over the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh, known as the Omkareshwar Dam, is the site of a 600-megawatt floating solar energy facility now under construction. The Indira Sagar dam in Madhya Pradesh may soon be home to a massive floating solar power plant with a capacity of 1 gigawatt. Current renewable energy production in the central Indian state is 5,500 MW, with an expected increase to 20,000 MW by 2030 (Masterson, 2022). The massive solar farm in Singapore’s Tengeh Reservoir is equivalent to 45 soccer grounds and is powered by over 120,000 solar panels that float on the water’s surface. Singapore’s strategy is to treble its solar energy output by 2025 and powers its five water treatment facilities.

California is home to the largest floating solar plant in the United States. An estimated 4.8 megawatts of power can be generated by the 11,600 solar panels at the Healdsburg Floating Solar Farm, according to Sonoma Clean Power. This provides enough power for 8% of Healdsburg’s use. The largest FPV in Germany is located on an abandoned quarry lake in Haltern am Sea, and it can potentially reduce annual CO2 emissions by 1,100 metric tons (Masterson, 2022). After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Germany and other European countries have increased their focus on renewable energy in an effort to reduce their reliance on Russian oil and gas.

Associated Costs

Offshore solar infrastructure is gaining popularity as the world embraces the switch to renewable energy. Capital expenditures are often necessary for offshore solar systems due to the need for specialized tools like floating platforms with anchors. Offshore solar construction may be time-consuming and resource-intensive due to the extreme environmental conditions the solar PV system is subjected to, such as saltwater corrosion and severe weather. However, offshore solar infrastructure costs are dropping as technology improves and designs become more marine-friendly.

Offshore solar has garnered much attention as a potential method to reduce the cost of producing renewable energy per unit of consumption. The panels may be divided to let light into the water below, and the floating platforms can be made from biologically inert materials (Stram, 2016). Offshore insurance premiums are more expensive than local ones. Moreover, offshore solar farms have a higher repair cost.

The Future of Offshore Solar

Many initiatives are actively constructing floating solar panels, which are intended to compete with offshore wind turbines. This is not unexpected, given that offshore wind turbines have previously shown the viability of using the ocean as a gardening spot. Besides, humans live on the “Blue Planet,” appropriately named since water covers 71% of the Earth’s surface. It is ideal for renewable energy plants since people cannot cultivate water areas like dry land. Additionally, floating solar farms to generate renewable energy is expected to increase as a significant component of the global effort to combat climate change (Pouran, 2018). Costs and technological hurdles are predicted to decrease as technology advances. As the world’s population grows and more people move into metropolitan areas, there will be a greater need for solar panels that can float on water.

Ongoing research and development in established and developing technologies aim to achieve even greater cost reductions and efficiency advancements. The PV technology portfolio is anticipated to maintain its current state of diversity. While there has been progress throughout the PV value chain, the vast bulk of yearly output is still made using first-generation technology (Celik et al., 2017). Interesting possibilities exist in tandem and perovskite technologies, but only in the far future since there are still hurdles to be solved, including durability and cost.

Solar prices are expected to decrease by half by 2030 according to well-defined plans put out by the solar sector. There is a current shift toward more efficient modules, which, thanks to a technique called tandem silicon cells, can produce 1.5 times as much power as today’s components of the same size. These will have far-reaching consequences in the future. More cost-effective alternatives to silver and silicon, which are now utilized in large quantities during solar cell manufacturing, are on the horizon, as are other production advances like bifacial modules, which enable panels to gather solar energy from both sides. The other significant development concerns the most effective methods of incorporating solar energy into our buildings, industries, and distribution grids. This entails more efficient power electronics and the implementation of digital technology at lower cost.

Environmental Impact

Solar power generation has no negative effects on the environment. Solar farms’ production, shipping, and installation exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. The harmful elements in the dismantled solar panels pollute land and water. One of the major issues with solar farms is the waste they produce. When solar panel efficiency drops below a certain threshold, usually after their lifetime has been exceeded, they are taken out of service (Zeng et al., 2014). These materials become waste after being processed. Without proper disposal, the harmful materials in solar panels may contaminate the environment.

If oxygen and gas exchanges with the water surface and the surrounding atmosphere are limited, an anaerobic scenario may develop from the structure of the FPV and floats, which has consequences for the microbial population and the chemical composition of the ambient ecosystem. Furthermore, Haas et al. (2020) claim that when PV panels occupy most of the water’s surface, solar radiation that enters the water is significantly decreased, which might severely impact the aquatic ecology. Despite the beneficial effect of retarding algal development, this is the case. As PV panels and floats blanket the surface, the water temperature will change from its normal state.

Chemical contamination risks during FPV installation, maintenance, or operation due to abrupt or slow discharges of chemicals are another possible issue. Chemicals used to make PV panels and those used in the floats and the electrical and mechanical components of FPVs fall under this category. Leaks and oil spills from vehicles employed for installing and maintaining FPVs, such as boats that move the floats to the desired place inside the body of water, can have adverse environmental outcomes. Due to corrosion and deterioration over time, chemicals and microplastics may also be released from FPV equipment. In addition, electric fields produced by electrical equipment, particularly that which comes into close contact with water, may affect the natural world.

By creating additional habitat for marine life, the installation of offshore energy infrastructure acts as an artificial reef. Attached microorganisms, according to Hooper and colleagues (2018), comprise of the cornerstone of food webs, and the protection provided by power plants draws in bigger, more mobile species like crabs, lobsters, and fish. Offshore structures serve as pathways for certain species as they expand their range or as nurseries, with subsequent impacts on the surrounding environment.

Conclusion

Floating solar farms are gaining traction in the renewable energy sector. They are more widely applicable since FPVs may be used in less-than-ideal conditions. Several environmental considerations must be made before the potential of marine photovoltaics can be fully realized. It is essential to thoroughly evaluate the potentially detrimental effects of any installation on marine species, especially in very sensitive ecosystems. The industry, however, may take advantage of a window of opportunity to guarantee that designs maximize environmental benefits. In addition to investigating the ecological and societal effects of floating solar farms at sea, researchers must also examine the technology and economic sustainability of such projects.

References

Agostinelli, G. (2020). Emerging Energy Solutions: Floating Solar Photovoltaic on the Rise.

Celik, I., Philips, A. B., Song, Z., Yan, Y., Ellingson, R. J., Heben, M. J., & Apul, D. (2017). Energy payback time (EPBT) and energy return on energy invested (EROI) of perovskite tandem photovoltaic solar cells. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 8(1), 305-309. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2768961.

Davey, R. (2021, October 28). Floating solar panels in the Ocean. AZoM.com. https://www.azom.com/news.aspx?newsID=57098

Haas, J., Khalighi, J., De La Fuente, A., Gerbersdorf, S. U., Nowak, W., & Chen, P. J. (2020). Floating photovoltaic plants: Ecological impacts versus hydropower operation flexibility. Energy Conversion and Management, 206, 112414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2019.112414.

Hooper, T., Ashley, M., & Austen, M. (2018). Capturing benefits: opportunities for the co-location of offshore energy and fisheries. In Offshore Energy and Marine Spatial Planning (pp. 189-213). Routledge.

Masterson, V. (2022, September 23). Floating solar farms: What are they, and can they help us reach net zero? GreenBiz. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/floating-solar-farms-what-are-they-and-can-they-help-us-reach-net-zero

Pouran, H. M. (2018). From collapsed coal mines to floating solar farms, why China’s new power stations matter. Energy Policy, 123, 414-420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.105253.

Solanki, C., Nagababu, G., & Kachhwaha, S. S. (2017). Assessment of offshore solar energy along the coast of India. Energy Procedia, 138, 530-535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.10.240.

Stram, B. N. (2016). Key challenges to expanding renewable energy. Energy Policy, 96, 728-734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2016.05.034.

Zeng, Z., Zhao, R., Yang, H., & Tang, S. (2014). Policies and demonstrations of micro-grids in China: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 29, 701-718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2013.09.015.