Floating Solar Photovoltaic system An Emerging Technology

Abstract--- The noticeable rise in the electricity demand, fast depletion of fossil fuels, along with environmental
concerns throughout the world has led to the requirement of Solar Energy and Solar PV plants are being installed in
large scale. This installation has the burden of intense land requirements which will always be a premium
commodity. To go for this, conserving the precious land & water, installing Solar PV system on water bodies like
lake, reservoir, canal etc is also an emerging option and can be an attractive thought particularly when big
generating companies like JPL etc. is having its large reservoirs (i.e. Raw water reservoir & Dam).Additionally,
floating photovoltaic systems produce more electricity since they are cooled automatically by the water body.
Theoretically, also the aquatic environment profits by the solar installation because the shading of the plant
prevents excessive water evaporation and limits algae growth, etc. This paper gives more insight about the Floating
PV technology, present status & various available options and CEEPI’s plan to assess and promote this platform to
improve JPL’s renewable energy portfolio.
I. INTRODUCTION
Installed Capacity of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in India:
The total All India Installed Power generation capacity in India as on 30.11.2014 is 2,55,013 MW which
includes 31,692 MW from Renewable Energy Sources (RES), constituting 12 %of the total capacity. The same is
shown in the form of a pi diagram below
Fig 1
There are many ambitious programs of Government to increase Renewable Generation and capacity addition
and looking forward for facilitating large scale integration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES), keeping in view
the security of the grid.
The breakup of Renewable Energy Sources in India is as shown below:
Table no 1
S.No. Parameters Capacity(MW)
1 Small Hydro 3804
2 Wind power 21136
3 Bio gas 4120
Yashpal Sahu, CEEPI, JPL Tamnar
Pooja Agrawal, CEEPI, JPL Tamnar
Shahabuddin, CEEPI, JPL Tamnar
Floating Solar Photovoltaic System: An
Emerging Technology
Yashpal Sahu, Pooja Agrawal and Shahabuddin 
National Seminar on Prospects and Challenges of Electrical Power Industry in India - NSPCEPII 219
ISBN 978-93-84743-43-7 © 2015 Bonfring

4 Solar Power 2632
Total 31692
The same is shown in the form of a pi diagram below
Fig 2
India has taken a challenge of installing of 1 Lakh MW capacity of solar power installation and generation by
the year 2030.
II. SOLAR ENERGY
Solar energy is the heat and light energy which can be harnessed by using the latest evolving technologies.
Solar energy can be harnessed basically by two types
 Solar Thermal: Solar thermal can be used for water heating, space heating,space cooling and process
heat generation.
 Solar Electricity: It is the conversion of sunlight into electricity by using Photovoltaic.
III. PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL
It is a device which converts light into electric current using the photoelectric effect. Investors are looking the
economics of power production with solar PV technology on the available land to have the maximum returns.
There are large water bodies available in various parts of the country which can reduce the savings for the cost
of land and can reduce the expenditure for power generation expenses. So the floating solar PV systems can
become a very logical alternative for harnessing solar energy by utilizing existing water bodies and help to
increase the economic viability of solar projects.
There are very few manufacturers who can supply floating PV system worldwide. In India also,
manufacturers of PV are planning to enter the market of floating PV.
IV. CONCEPT OF FLOATING PV SYSTEM
It is a new concept for power generation by Solar photovoltaic system installed over the floating technology
over water bodies. This technology replaces the installation of photovoltaic power plants over precious land.
Fig 3: Floating plant outline
ISBN 978-93-84743-43-7 © 2015 Bonfring

The PV floating plant consists of a floating system, anchoring system, PV system and underwater cables.
 Floating System: A floating platform which allows the installation of the PV systems withhaving walkway
for maintenance.
 Anchoring System: To enable the platform adjust to water level fluctuations while maintaining its
position in a southward direction.
 PV System: PV generation equipments, conventional PV module or specialized CPV modules or
equivalent devices, which are installed on top of the floating system.
 Underwater special marine Cable: Transfers the generated power from land to the PV system.
There are a number of benefits which can be drawn from installing Floating PV system, as outlined below.
V. FIRST SOLAR FLOATING SOLAR PANEL IN INDIA
A floating solar power plant of was conceptualized and implemented indigenously at 10 KW Rajarhat near
Kolkata. It was an experimental project and first such floating power plant in the country which has been
promoted by Union Ministry of Renewable Energy and conceptualized by Renewable Energy College, Arka,
Kolkata.
This project will revise the situation on where the solar installation above water can boost the generation by
cooling the panels. Excessive heat can reduce the efficiency of solar modules. The project will also observe the
effects of corrosion and evaporation from the lake.
This project will cost around two million rupees and for research the project will require another two million
rupees. It is estimated that around 20,000kWh will be generated. The electricity generated through this plant
will be sold to the grid at the rate of 8.9 rupees a unit.
India is one of those few countries that have been blessed with limitless solar potential. Solar energy can give
India power independence and make it a leading economy in the world. The best way to make India solar
independent is to adapt new technology.
The challenge of installing 1 lakh MW capacity by the year 2030 can only be fulfilled by acquiring 6 lakhs
acres of land. But with the coming of floating PV can help to address the issue of the acquiring the 6 acres of land.
1. K-water 100kW Floating PV Systems:
K-water has installed a 100kW floating PV system on the water surface of Hapcheon dam reservoir in October
2011 for operation. The electricity generated by the floating PV systems installed in Hapcheon dam reservoir are
generating profits by being sold to the national power grid. Figure 2 displays the view of the 100kW floating PV
systems.
Fig 4: K-water PV Floating Plants Outline (100kW)
VI. PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF FLOATING PV SYSTEM
7.1. 100kW Floating PV System:
The 100kW floating PV system in Hapcheon is forming a 33° tilt and its installed capacity is 99.36kW,
composed of 414 240W modules. Figure 3 represents the generation quantity and capacity factor of the
Hapcheon 100kW floating PV system based on the data acquired between January 2012 to December 2012. The
standards for generation quantity were the amount read on the meters at VCB, and the capacity factor was
calculated under the following equation.
ISBN 978-93-84743-43-7 © 2015 Bonfring

Capacity Factor (%) = Generated Quantity Duration Analysis Period (kWh) X 100
Installed Capacity (kW) x Analysis Period (h)
Monthly average generated quantity during January 2012 to December 2012 was 10,853kWh, and the
average capacity factor was 14.9%. The maximum monthly generated quantity was 13,792kWh in October and
the minimum was 8,224kWh in December. For capacity factor, the maximum capacity factor was 18.7% in
October and the minimum was 11.1% in December.
Fig. 5.Hapcheon 100kW Floating PV System Performance Analysis Graph
VII. PICTURES OF FLOATING PVS INSTALLED
Fig 6, 7, 8 & 9
ISBN 978-93-84743-43-7 © 2015 Bonfring

VIII. ADVANTAGES OF FLOATING PV
(i) Economical and technical benefits
 Conserve valuable land for farming, mining, tourism and other land-intensives activities and turn
unused and non-revenue generating water surface into profitable solar power plants
 No land acquisition required for floating PV projects
 Protects ecologically sensitive areas
 Drastically reduced installation time and associated costs due to very limited site preparation needs
 Water for cleaning the panels (& hence enhancing efficiency) is readily available.
 Due to the cooling effect of the water on both the panels and the electrical equipment, all water resistant,
floating solar plants are expected to yield a higher power output than conventional solar installations,
thus the return on investment is higher. As per a study conducted in Korea, comparing two Floating PV
plants of 100 kWp & 500 kWp each with equivalent respective ground mounted PV systems, it was
reported that daily average generation (kWh) of the FPV plants were approximately 10% higher
compared to the land based systems.
(ii) Environment impacts
 Minimize water evaporation, conserve water by lowering the water temperature and reducing the size
of the water area exposed to air, floating solar panels can reduce water evaporation by up to 33% on
natural lakes and ponds, and by to 50% on man-made facilities.
 Improve water quality and cut maintenance costs
 Potential reduction in algae growth due to reduced sunlight penetration and reduced photosynthesis.
(iii) Preserves existing ecosystems
 There is no excavation work, concrete foundation or banks occupation necessary.
 Most of the systems are supported on HDPE blocks; can safely be installed on drinking water reservoirs.
 Generally anchors require no excavation and have no impact on existing ecosystems.
(iv) Other Added Benefits
 Local employment generation for operation and maintenance
 Become Carbon neutral to carbon positive advantages.
IX. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON FLOATING PV SYSTEM
 Occurrence of Wave Due to Wind Velocity.
 Wind Speed’s Effect on Structure.
 Effect of Wind Speed on Power Generation Amount.
X. CHALLENGES FOR INSTALLING FLOATING PV
 Electrical equipment, modules and wiring, must be water resistant.
 Effects on the environment, mainly water quality, must be considered, and the annual fluctuation in
reservoir water levels must be taken into when constructing the system.
XI. SCOPE OF FLOATING PV AT JPL
Jindal Power Limited (JPL) also has a large reservoir where we can think about the installing of the floating
Solar PV systems. And by utilizing the amount of power generated, JPL can also reduce the auxiliary power
consumptions. The following diagram shows the Layout of raw water reservoir at JPL
ISBN 978-93-84743-43-7 © 2015 Bonfring

Fig 10
The water body of the raw water reservoirs covers about 18 hectares of land i.e. the shaded portion of the
reservoir shows the proposed area which can be utilized for installation of floating PVs i.e. 6-7 hectares.
XII. WIND VELOCITY & TEMPERATURE GRAPH
ISBN 978-93-84743-43-7 © 2015 Bonfring

Fig 11: Wind velocity & temperature
XIII. CALCULATION OF PAY BACK PERIOD
Table no 2
Description Unit Value
Area of Reservoir Hectare 19
Area Required for 10000 Module Hectare 3.6
Total No of Module Nos. 10000
Capacity of each Module Watt 250
Total Capacity of the Plant MW 2.5
Installation Cost for 1 MW Unit crore 8
Total Installation Cost crore 20
Selling Cost per Unit Rs/ kWh 9
ISBN 978-93-84743-43-7 © 2015 Bonfring

Total Generation Hrs Hrs 1920
Total Generation(MU) MU/per Day 0.02
Total Generation(MU) MU/per Year 4.8
Earning Per Year Crore 4.32
Savings after 5 years Crore 1.6
Savings after 10 years Crore 23.2
Pay Back Period is 5 year (approx.)
XIV. CONCLUSION
This paper shows the installed capacity of Renewable Energy of India as well as explaining the concept of
Floating PV system. It also consists of 100 kW Performance Analysis of Floating PV System of K-water Company.
As JPL Tamnar has very big reservoir with 19 hectare area so with lots of data collection from environment dept.
as regarding wind condition as well as the sun intensity and rays angle in Tamnar found very attractive so it
concluded that JPL Tamnar has potential to install 2.5 MW capacity of Floating Solar PV power plant which will
take only 18% of the total area of the reservoir. As Solar power selling cost is very high comparatively so the
payback period will be only 5 years based on calculation and plant life will be minimum 25 to 30years.
REFERENCES
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[9] Young-Kwan Choi, Nam-Hyung Lee, Se-HyeonLee, “A Study on the Development of Tracking Floating Photovoltaic System to Increase
Generation Efficiency”, EU PVSEC 2013. October 2013
[10] Young-Kwan Choi, Nam-Hyung Lee, Kern-Joongkim, “Empirical Research on the efficiency of Floating PV systems compared with
Overland PV Systems”, CES-CUBE 2013. July 2013
http://www.solarquarter.com/index.php/knowledge-resources/item/751-floating-solar-farm
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ISBN 978-93-84743-43-7 © 2015 Bonfring

http://www.solarquarter.com/index.php/news/asia/india/item/782-vikram-solar-successfully-commissions-india-s-first-floating-pv-
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Yashpal Sahu
Education qualifications:
ME- Mechanical, BIT, Mesra Ranchi
BE-Mechanical, GRKIST, Jabalpur
Certified Energy Auditor Certified BOE
Work Exp: 10 Yrs 8 months with Jindal Power Limited,
- Project Monitoring of 250 MW
- Commissioning & Operation of 250MW
- Efficiency and CEEPI department
- Commissioning of 600 MW unit
Email:yashpal@jindalpower.com
Shahabuddin
Education: B.Tech in Electrical & Electronics Engineering (EEE)
From Bengal College of Engineering & Technology , Durgapur
PGDC in Thermal Power Plant from NPTI, Guwahati.
Work Exp: 1. Since Aug 2009 to Jul 2012 as a Desk Operation Engineering (Asst Manager) in Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. ,
Jharsuguda.2. Currently working as a CEEPI TEAM (Asst Manager) in Jindal Power Ltd. , Tamnar.
Email: md.shahabuddin@jindalpower.com
Pooja Agrawal
Education: B.Tech in Electrical Engineering (EE)
From Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
Work Exp: Currently working as a CEEPI TEAM (Asst Manager) in Jindal Power Ltd. , Tamnar.
Email: pooja.agarwal@jindalpower.com
ISBN 978-93-84743-43-7 © 2015 Bonfring

Floating Solar Photovoltaic system An Emerging Technology

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