Life Cycle and Local Environmental Impacts of Floating Photovoltaic (FPV) Systems

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Renewable Energy Technology

Background:

• Floating solar photovoltaics (FPV) are an emerging renewable energy solution that avoids land use competition.
• Assessing the environmental impacts of FPV, particularly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water dynamics, is crucial for sustainable deployment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the environmental impacts of FPV on inland water bodies, focusing on GHG emissions and water consumption.
• To compare the life cycle environmental performance of FPV with existing ground-based photovoltaic systems.

Main Methods:

• Harmonization and comparison of existing peer-reviewed life cycle assessments (LCAs) for FPV.
• Inclusion of two case studies and consideration of the full FPV life cycle, including prospective material recycling.
• Analysis of changes in water evaporation and aquatic GHG emissions at FPV sites.

Main Results:

• The average overall GHG footprint of FPV is calculated at 36 gCO2 kWh−1, comparable to ground-based PV.
• Biogenic aquatic GHG emissions from FPV locations are a minor contributor (1%-8%) to the overall GHG footprint.
• Water savings from reduced evaporation significantly outweigh the water consumed by FPV systems.

Conclusions:

• FPV technology demonstrates a favorable environmental profile, with GHG emissions on par with traditional solar PV.
• FPV systems offer substantial water conservation benefits through reduced evaporation.
• The findings support the continued development and deployment of FPV as a key technology for transitioning to renewable energy sources.