Will floating solar prove pivotal in archipelagic Philippines?

(Eco Business, 5 Mar 2024) As floating photovoltaic systems emerge as a bright spot in the Philippines’ renewable energy quest, how can the archipelago push expansion while minding the technology’s potential environmental and social impacts?

In a growing number of developing nations, the push towards clean energy is ultimately a struggle over land use. 

Utility-scale solar and wind farms need at least 10 times more land per unit of power produced compared to coal- and gas-fired power plants, according to report by McKinsey.

Addressing land rights is critical for solar developers in Southeast Asia, as the majority of the region’s accessible land is primarily utilised for agriculture.

In archipelagos like the Philippines, however, floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems may surface as a feasible solution in the energy transition – although not without ecological and social risks flagged by civil society organisations.

Floating solar – which involves mounting photovoltaic panels on the surface of water bodies such as lakes, reservoirs, industrial ponds and coastal areas – could be a “central pillar in Southeast Asia’s energy future,” said think tank Rystad Energy in a study.

Note; you need to login (free of charge) to the EcoBusiness website to access the full article.

External link

Eco Business, 5 Mar 2024: Will floating solar prove pivotal in archipelagic Philippines?

More Related News

Solar power

23 Apr 2024: Biden marks Earth Day with $7bn ‘solar for all’ investment amid week of climate action

18 Apr 2024: Clean energy’s dirty secret: the trail of waste left by India’s solar power boom

9 Apr 2024: England could produce 13 times more renewable energy, using less than 3% of land – analysis

9 Apr 2024: Germany surpasses 400,000 plug-in solar PV “balcony power plants”

5 Apr 2024: Rooftop PV takes off in EU – NGO report

5 Apr 2024: Rooftop PV takes off in EU – NGO report

18 Mar 2024: World’s largest solar manufacturer to cut one-third of workforce

15 Mar 2024: Sales of solar batteries for German homes seen rising 26% in 2024

8 Mar 2024: Italy's green transition efforts held back by lack of big solar projects

4 Mar 2024: ‘We can’t close our borders’: Harsh solar industry protectionism off the table

23 Feb 2024: Germany’s last major solar module producer to close in March