by Sean Nealon
Corvallis OR (SPX) Nov 18, 2025
Floating photo voltaic panels are rising as a promising clear vitality resolution with environmental advantages, however a brand new research finds these results differ considerably relying on the place the methods are deployed.
Researchers from Oregon State College and the U.S. Geological Survey modeled the impression of floating photo voltaic photovoltaic methods on 11 reservoirs throughout six states. Their simulations confirmed that the methods constantly cooled floor waters and altered water temperatures at completely different layers throughout the reservoirs. Nevertheless, the panels additionally launched elevated variability in habitat suitability for aquatic species.
“Completely different reservoirs are going to reply otherwise based mostly on components like depth, circulation dynamics and the fish species which might be essential for administration,” mentioned Evan Bredeweg, lead creator of the research and a former postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State. “There isn’t any one-size-fits-all components for designing these methods. It is ecology – it is messy.”
Whereas the floating photo voltaic panel market is established and rising in Asia, it stays restricted in the US, largely to small pilot initiatives. Nevertheless, a research launched earlier this 12 months by the U.S. Division of Vitality’s Nationwide Renewable Vitality Laboratory estimated that U.S. reservoirs may host sufficient floating photo voltaic panel methods to generate as much as 1,476 terawatt-hours yearly, sufficient to energy roughly 100 million properties.
Floating photo voltaic panels provide a number of benefits. The cooling impact of the water can enhance panel effectivity by an estimated 5 to fifteen%. The methods may also be built-in with present hydroelectric and transmission infrastructure. They could additionally assist scale back evaporation, which is very invaluable in hotter, drier climates.
Nevertheless, these advantages include questions on potential impacts on aquatic ecosystems, an space that has acquired restricted scientific consideration.
“Understanding the environmental dangers and the variability in ecological responses to floating photovoltaic deployment is essential for informing regulatory businesses and guiding sustainable vitality improvement,” Bredeweg mentioned.
The brand new research used superior modeling strategies to evaluate the implications of floating photo voltaic panel deployment on total reservoirs. Researchers examined reservoirs in Oregon, Ohio, Washington, Idaho, Tennessee and Arkansas, analyzing two-month durations in each summer time and winter.
They discovered that modifications in temperature and oxygen dynamics attributable to floating photo voltaic panels can affect habitat availability for each warm-water and cold-water fish species. As an illustration, cooler water temperatures in summer time usually profit cold-water species, although this impact is most pronounced when panel protection exceeds 50%.
The researchers notice the necessity for continued analysis and long-term monitoring to make sure floating photovoltaic methods assist clear vitality objectives with out compromising aquatic ecosystems.
“Historical past has proven that large-scale modifications to freshwater ecosystems, akin to hydroelectric dams, can have unexpected and lasting penalties,” Bredeweg mentioned.
Co-authors of the paper embody Ivan Arismendi of Oregon State’s Division of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences; Sarah Henkel of the Hatfield Marine Science Heart at Oregon State; and Christina Murphy of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Analysis Unit.
Analysis Report:Modeling diverse environmental responses of reservoirs to floating photovoltaic systems
Associated Hyperlinks
Oregon State University
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