Floating PV systems generate 12 percent more electricity than land-based PVs
Floating photovoltaic systems generate electricity more efficiently than land-based ones. Why is this the case? Scientists from Taiwan have a simple explanation.
(Image: Ching-Feng Chen)
Scientists at the National Taipei University of Technology in Taiwan have found that floating photovoltaic systems, placed on artificial lakes or offshore, generate up to 12 percent more energy over their entire lifespan than their technically similar land-based counterparts. Floating PV systems can therefore contribute more to global COâ‚‚ reduction.
In their study, the researchers compared the land-based PV system in the Changbin Industrial Park with a capacity of 100 MWp and the country's first large-scale offshore floating PV system with 181 MWp. The results were documented by the scientists in the study “Using an integrated approach for a comparative analysis of carbon footprints in onshore and offshore photovoltaic systems,” which was published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy.
To compare the two systems, the scientists normalized both systems to the same reference value of 100 MWp.
“This normalization approach allowed us to directly compare performance metrics – such as energy yield, efficiency, and environmental impacts – under equivalent system capacities, eliminating bias due to size differences,” says Ching-Feng Chen, one of the study authors.
Crucial Difference: Cooling
In their investigations, the scientists found that solar systems located on water can generate about 12 percent more electricity over their entire lifespan than comparable solar systems on land under the same conditions. The researchers attribute this to the cooling effect of the surrounding water for floating PV systems. The efficiency of a solar module decreases with excessive heat. Water, on the other hand, absorbs heat, allowing the solar modules to operate more efficiently. Efforts are already being made with land-based photovoltaic systems to increase efficiency through active and passive cooling systems.
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With the study, the scientists aim to provide decision-makers in the energy sector with a tool to help them determine which techniques are better suited for reducing COâ‚‚ emissions. Taiwan aims for net-zero emissions by 2050.
(olb)
