Floating photovoltaics – technological issues, cost and practical implications

Abstract

In space constrained countries such as Malta it is difficult to envision large scale PV farms on land due to the high cost and lack of availability of large stretches of suitable land. It is therefore natural to try to venture offshore as has happened elsewhere with wind-farms. Some of the challenges – higher communication costs, corrosive effects of the sea water, long term survivability – are the same. However sea-borne PVs have an edge when it comes to cost as their deployment would be logistically simpler than the massive wind turbines. They would also be less visible from shore and therefore less likely to be opposed on aesthetic grounds. The balance of system costs for an offshore system provides some advantages and some disadvantages when compared to a land-based system however it is believed that the overall cost could be similar to or even lower especially if special panels are developed for offshore use and since no expensive land-leasing would be involved. While most of the systems reviewed are on ponds some of the adopted solutions could also work in open sea and while challenging, other problems such as rough seas and biological fouling should be surmountable.