Challenges and Opportunities of Floating Solar PV in Asia Pacific

The installed capacity of floating solar is expected to grow exponentially over the next two decades. The Asia Pacific region, due to its often-complex geography and topography, and pressures on land use is set to dominate the floating solar market globally. The benefits of floating solar have been widely discussed. Our study focuses on the challenges and opportunities to improve the bankability of floating systems, based on our experience as Technical, Environmental and Social advisor on projects in Australia, Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan; including what is expected to become the largest solar floating project worldwide, currently under development off the west coast of Taiwan and nearby an operating offshore wind farm. This presentation discussed technology and equipment track record at scale, site conditions and natural hazards, the technical complexity of designing, building, and operating on and in water, and the environmental, social, health and safety considerations and standards for construction and operation of floating solar systems.