Featured in Powering AI – 03-2026

A new wave of floating solar innovators

Offshore floating PV (FPV) is still in its infancy, but an increasing number of inland and nearshore solar installations show there is opportunity to be found on water. From the Netherlands and North Sea to the warm shores of the Mediterranean, Valerie Thompson reports on the innovators in FPV.

By

Valerie Thompson

02 Mar 2026

Fred. Olsen 1848 is focused on deploying PV plants in locations with waves up to seven meters. | Image: Fred.olsen1848

Less than 0.2% of floating solar capacity is deployed offshore in open sea conditions. Recent research co-authored by Carlos D. Rodríguez-Gallegos, a senior consultant and energy yield manager at RINA Consulting, revealed that the 10 GW of cumulative deployed floating PV capacity is almost entirely near shore or inland. “The industry’s focus is on inland …

This article is part of pv+

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