Considerations for Assessing the Technical Potential of Floating Solar: A Systematic Review

Floating photovoltaic (FPV) technology is rapidly expanding as an alternative to land intensive ground-mounted solar arrays. With this expansion, there is a lack of standardized criteria for choosing water bodies suitable for FPV installations. Technical potential assessments, a vital step in the development of renewable energy resources, allow for the identification of feasible installation sites and provide an estimation of costs, power generation, and capacity (NREL 2018). These assessments are carried out to aid planners, policymakers, and other decision makers in predicting and achieving goals related to the development of renewable energy; however, some considerations may be overlooked. Assessing the technical potential of solar energy without a standardized framework for criterion may lead to an inconsistent range of generation outcomes, adding to the confusion and lack of confidence that has been a significant barrier to the growth of renewable energy in recent years (Seetharaman 2019). The main purpose of this study is to systematically review criteria in the published literature emphasizing assessment of FPV technical potential and related siting studies, especially those using geographic technologies. Preliminary findings of this systematic review suggest that the majority of studies limit their scope of analysis to water bodies occupied by existing hydropower plants. However, existing FPV installations are not so limited, leading to an underestimation of the technologys true potential and impact. We will use results from this analysis to inform the standardization of a framework used in future technical potential studies, which may, in turn, improve the accuracy of generation estimates and offer a meaningful and realistic idea of how FPV installations could transform the direction of renewable energy science and development.