Floating solar: challenges and opportunities with hydropower

Floating solar hydropower systems present a major opportunity to contribute towards meeting global energy demand while conserving water and avoiding land use. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the USA has estimated that up to 7.6 TW of electricity could be generated through the integration of floating solar technology at hydropower reservoir sites around the world.

As governments seek to make progress towards net zero, many have already incorporated floating solar into their energy strategies in recent years, with global installed capacity growing from 70 MW in 2015 to 1,300 MW in 2020.

Bringing together a panel of speakers who have played pivotal roles in the integration of floating solar technology, this session will raise awareness of these systems as a concept; facilitate a discussion between solar and hydropower sectors and the potential for collaboration between the two sectors; and explore available technology options and technical guidance for best practice.

Speakers:

• Lei Xie, Energy Policy Manager, IHA (Moderator)
• Gregory Thomas, CEO, Natural Heritage Institute
• Dan Millison, Consultant, Independent (ADB)
• Kian Min Low, Chief Renewables Officer, Gentari
• Arun Kumar, Professor Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy, Indian Institute of Technology
• Andriah Feby Misna, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Cambodia to ASEAN​, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Republic of Indonesia (ESDM)