Solar at sea: The rise of floating PV

Posted: May 18, 2026

Around eight kilometers off the eastern coast of China, in the Bohai Sea, a vast array of over two million solar panels spans an equivalent of 3,000 acres. The HG14 solar farm was connected to the grid in December, and, once fully operational, should generate around 1.78 terawatt-hours of electricity a year, or enough for 2.7 million residents. It’s the world’s largest open-sea solar power plant.

In the case of the HG14 solar farm, the panels are mounted on fixed structures, meaning it isn’t strictly a “floating” solar farm—it works more like offshore wind. But it signals an important move in the energy transition. Like oil and gas extraction a century ago, and wind turbines a few decades ago, solar is moving offshore.  

In the last decade, offshore and floating solar have taken off, a trend that is expected to continue. Solar power uses much more land than other energy sources—it takes roughly five acres of land covered in solar panels for each megawatt of electricity capacity. Moving solar onto water bodies helps to take that pressure off urban and agricultural land.

The market has big potential: Exactitude Consulting placed the 2024 market at US$3 billion, and projects it reaching around US$25 billion by 2034. Researchers have reported that installing floating solar panels in just 10% of the area of the world’s hydropower reservoirs would be equivalent to electrical capacity that is currently available for fossil-fuel power plants. 

What is floating solar and how does it work?

There are two main methods of getting solar panels off land: fixing them to offshore structures, as in the case of HG14, or mounting them to floating platforms. These floating panels can be used in reservoirs, lakes, and the sea, and can be combined with other uses for water, for example in hydropower plants or aquaculture.

Moving solar onto water benefits the water bodies too—studies suggest that solar panels can reduce reservoir evaporation by 28% by shading the water beneath them. The water helps keep the panels cooler, and the reflective surface means more light hits them, which can enhance energy yield and efficiency. The HG14 project claims that its electricity generation efficiency is 5–15% higher than comparable onshore solar plants. A study in Pakistan put the overall energy generated by floating solar panels at around 8% more when compared to the same types of solar panels on land.

For all of these benefits, there are also some challenges. Initial installation of floating solar panels requires significant financial outlay, and in some countries, there are regulatory hurdles to overcome. The systems also need to be able to cope with more extreme conditions than their on-land counterparts: wind, waves and fluctuating water levels. Saltwater and offshore sites add further maintenance challenges. Floating solar can also have both positive and negative impacts on biodiversity, wildlife, and water quality.

Combining renewable energies: hybrid power generation

Often, floating solar systems are built in conjunction with other renewables, helping both address renewables intermittency problems and take advantage of existing grid connections.

In the Netherlands, Oceans of Energy, a renewable energy business, discovered that adding 1,500 floating solar panels to 3–5% of the space between wind turbines could boost energy output by over 20%.  The company says it has engineered a system designed to survive in harsh North Sea conditions, using non-toxic, eco-safe paints and rust protectants, and floating platforms made from recycled materials. The company also ensured that there are spaces between each platform to let sunlight reach the water below, maintaining biodiversity in the area.

The Sirindhorn reservoir has combined floating solar and a hydro-electric dam to create a hybrid power generator that provides electricity across three provinces in eastern Thailand. During the day, over 144,000 floating solar panels harness power from the sun and at night, three turbines convert energy from flowing water, producing peaks of 45 MW and 36 MW respectively. The solar panels cover less than 1% of the reservoir’s surface area yet have reduced water evaporation by 460,000 m³/year.

The next generation of solar

Floating solar could be a way for businesses to achieve energy independence. In Germany, one gravel pit plant cut its grid power use by nearly 60% after installing a vertical floating solar system. The technology is specifically designed for artificial water bodies, such as quarry lakes and gravel pits, and helps high-consumption energy users reduce pressure on the grid. Early reports have indicated improved water quality and new habitats, with SINN Power observing breeding waterfowl and fish around the floating components.

In Portugal, EDP has launched the Floating PV Lab in the Alto Rabagão reservoir. Here, it aims to help startups and SMEs test new hydro and floating solar technologies. A decade ago, the site was used for a floating solar pilot project, combining the hydro-electric dam with floating solar panels, which enabled it to take advantage of the site’s existing high-voltage grid connection.

Now, the team hopes that researchers will be able to develop and refine their technologies in real conditions, including extreme weather like strong winds, waves, snow and hot and cold temperatures. The lab will help to validate different floating systems, test operation and maintenance solutions, apply data processing systems with artificial intelligence, and implement hybrid energy generation and storage systems.

As the technology continues to prove its value, floatovoltaics may well become the next frontier for power generation on water.