Floating-PV – an innovative approach for the mitigation of land-use conflicts
Floating-PV systems on unused bodies of water – from disused coal quarries and mineral extraction pits to reservoirs – can make an important contribution to the green energy revolution, avoiding the use of land in residential and agricultural areas for the development of renewable sources of energy.
BayWa r.e. is a global leader in the floating-PV industry: we have already built and successfully connected 15 floating solar farms to the grid - a total capacity of 230 MWp. With our own innovative floating-PV solution, we are your partner of choice!
Are you the owner of an unused body of water? We will take care of the entire project life cycle, from design to construction and commissioning.
Are you a developer of a floating-PV project and looking for a floating-PV solution that is tested, strong and reliable? We are able to offer floating EPC solutions, as well as O&M services for your projects.
How does floating-PV work?
Great Potential for the Energy Transition in the UK
By optimising the covering of water bodies suitable for floating-PV, taking into account constraints such as nature, countryside protection, and recreational/leisure activities, there is potential for a number of GWp of floating-PV to be developed in the UK.
Key Facts
...commissioned by BayWa r.e. globally
...installed by BayWa r.e. globally
Image Gallery of our Floating-PV Systems
Do you have an unused body of water?
We are interested in suitable unused bodies of water (e.g. decommissioned opencast coal and sand quarries, reservoirs) with a minimum area of approx. 10 ha.
Advantages of Floating-PV:
- Green electricity is produced on the unused water surface;
- The owner receives a secure lease payment for at least 30 years;
- The owner does not have to make any investments;
- By covering the water surface, water evaporation is minimised (especially relevant for hydro and pumped storage power plants).
Floating-PV Systems from the Market Leader
Back in 2018, BayWa r.e. installed its first floating-PV project of 2.1 MWp. As early as 2020, we built the floating solar farm Bomhofsplas (Netherlands), which has a capacity of 27.4 MWp and back then was the largest floating-PV plant outside of China.
Since then, we have surpassed this success again and continue to hold the record of the largest floating-PV projects outside Asia with the solar farm Uivermeertjes (29.8 MWp), as well as the 41.4 MWp project Sellingen. See all our references in Europe here
Overall we have successfully constructed and connected floating solar farms to the grid with a total capacity of 200 MWp.
Our Floating-PV Expertise
As a full service provider, we handle everything from site identification and feasibility, project development, planning, procurement, financing and turnkey construction, right through to commissioning and into operations:
- Planning and technical consulting
- Reporting and analysis
- Project development incl. procurement of all necessary permits
- Procurement of components from proven partners
- Turnkey construction
- Financing
- Direct marketing
- Power purchase agreements (PPAs)
Our Certified Floating-PV Solution
Having determined that there was no floating-PV system on the market that met our requirements and standards, BayWa r.e. developed a new substructure together with the renowned technology experts Zimmermann PV-Stahlbau GmbH. Find out more here.
In 2020 received the Innovation Award for our innovative total floating-PV solution from pv magazine.