Floating Solar & Its Environmental Impacts: New Research and Results From Operational Projects

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Recording of Tuesday, June 18, 2024 | The smarter E Europe 2024 | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 6:17 .

Industry Experts Gather to Discuss Innovations and Opportunities in Floating PV Technology at Biowa RE Session

The next session focused on floating photovoltaic (PV) systems, an exciting topic in the PV industry. I am Michele Tagliapietra, head of Floating PV Product Management at Biowa RE, and have been working in this domain for six years. Five distinguished speakers will cover various aspects of floating PV: 1. Stanislas Merlet from Multiconsult will begin with a market overview and technology update. Stanislas is a senior solar consultant with over 15 years of experience in the PV industry. 2. Jasper Lemmens, global practice lead for floating solar at DNV, will discuss best practices and standards related to floating PV standardizations and bankability. 3. Dr. Anna Heimsath from Fraunhofer ISE heads the department analyzing modules and power plants—focusing on agrivoltaics, quality assurance, yield performance—and cost analysis of floating PV projects. 4. Michele Tagliapietra from BayWa r.e will speak about environmental impacts based on operational results and studies concerning floating PV installations. 5. Lastly, Dr. Benjamin Lehner, CEO of Dutch Marine Energy Center (DMEC), co-founder specializing in offshore renewable energy innovations—will conclude by discussing advancements toward offshore domains. Floating PV represents a viable solution especially for regions facing land constraints or seeking double-use water surfaces to expand their energy capacity efficiently while addressing environmental concerns through innovative technologies and practical implementations already making strides globally.

Automated summarization by AI Conver

Michele Tagliapietra
Head of Product Management Floating-PV
BayWa r.e.
Belgium

Floating photovoltaics (FPV) is an established alternative PV power plant application for regions with space constraints and for bodies of water that need protection from pollution and evaporation. The total FPV onshore deployment is expected to reach a double-digit GW output soon. That is why the industry is turning its attention to the vast potential of offshore installations. Despite considerable technical progress, much still remains to be done - from standardization, cost reduction, to environmental assessments and social acceptance - before FPV becomes widely accepted.

The session will discuss:

  • Market & technology developments
  • On and offshore case studies
  • Biodiversity research results
  • Yield and cost comparison FPV vs. traditional PV power plants

Speaker

Michele Tagliapietra
Head of Product Management Floating-PV
BayWa r.e.
Belgium

To Talk

Speaker

Stanislas Merlet
Senior Consultant Solar PV
Multiconsult
Norway

To Talk

Speaker

Jasper Lemmens
Senior Consultant
DNV Netherlands B.V.
The Netherlands

To Talk

Speaker

Dr. Anna Heimsath
Head of Department "Analysis PV Modules and Power Plants"
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE
Germany

To Talk

Speaker

Dr. Benjamin Lehner
CEO
Dutch Marine Energy Centre
The Netherlands

To Talk

To Talk

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