We are all aware of two major disadvantages of non-renewable energy sources. They are available in a limited amount that we are sucking rapidly, and the other one is about its impact on the environment. Both of the above reasons have forced us to shift towards an alternate source of energy. Solar energy is considered one of the best renewable forms of energy. The floating solar farms gained popularity in the year 2018. Countries with a high population do have less availability of land for solar power plants. Apart from being environment & space-friendly floating solar farms operate at a higher efficiency as installations of solar panels on water bodies do help in cooling the equipment thereby increasing its efficiency.
CECEP a state-owned Organization in China completed a 70 MW floating solar project in the year 2018 that is currently the largest in the world spread across an area of 140 hectares. Although the first floating solar farm was installed in Japan in 2007, China currently has the largest solar farms in the market.
Top 10 Floating Solar Projects in 2021
| Rank | Size (Kw) | Country | Operating From |
| 1 | 40.000 | China | 2017 |
| 2 | 20.000 | China | 2016 |
| 3 | 13.700 | Japan | 2018 |
| 4 | 9.982 | China | 2017 |
| 5 | 7.550 | Japan | 2015 |
| 6 | 6.776 | China | 2017 |
| 7 | 6.338 | UK | 2016 |
| 8 | 3.000 | South Korea | 2017 |
| 9 | 3.000 | South Korea | 2015 |
| 10 | 2.991 | South Korea | 2015 |
Recently Indian state government has announced that the world’s largest floating solar project will begin operations in 2022-2023.
This floating solar farm with over 600MW capacity will be deployed on the Narmada River. The panels will be installed in the backwaters of the Omkareshwar dam in the Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh State. These panels will have the capacity to adjust their position automatically when the water level in the dam is low.
Singapore might be one of the smallest countries in the world but the financial hub is not behind in carbon dioxide emission than any other Asian country. The country has started to setup solar power plants on its coast and reservoirs. The floating solar farm project is more like a last resort for the country because of less availability of land, limited rivers for hydro-electricity projects, and weak strength of winds that is insufficient to power turbines.
Benefits of Floating Solar Farms:
- Promotes land-use efficiency: The complete system is setup on water due to which lands can be used for other purposes.
- Higher energy Efficiency: Due to the natural cooling effect of water, the efficiency of the panel is increased.
- Saves Water resources: As the floating panels block the sunlight evaporation is reduced.
- Eco-friendly: Aquatic life is unaffected by the projects.
Also read, 5 Ways To Power Cities With Clean Energy
