SuRE FPV

Through SuRE, we will increase competitiveness of FPV power plants by enabling sustainable design, reducing LCOE and expanding the application potential for the leading European FPV technologies Ciel & Terre, ZIM Float and Sunlit Sea.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is a cornerstone of the shift towards fully decarbonized energy. It plays a crucial role in meeting the European Green Deal objectives and reducing reliance on Russian fossil fuels. Over the past decade, PV module installations have surged, driven by lower costs and growing climate awareness. But to meet the EU’s ambitious goals, we must continue to accelerate the deployment of solar power. As PV installation expands, the challenge of land availability becomes increasingly pressing. Floating PV (FPV) offers a promising solution to this challenge, enabling solar power generation on water surfaces instead of land.

To fully harness the potential of FPV, three major barriers must be addressed:

• Sustainable Deployment: We need clear documentation and guidelines for deploying FPV across a diverse range of waterbodies.
• Enhanced Structural Integrity: FPV systems must be designed to withstand offshore conditions while remaining cost-effective.
• Lowering Costs: We need to reduce the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) to make FPV more competitive against traditional land-based and polluting energy sources.

SuRE FPV is focused on overcoming these challenges to make FPV more affordable, sustainable, and widely adopted. Our project will enhance sustainability by reducing carbon footprints and fostering positive synergies with local ecosystems. The modular nature of PV systems allows us to customize coverage ratios, light penetration, and layout, resulting in FPV installations that benefit both the environment and biodiversity. In terms of affordability, SuRE FPV will develop more reliable and cost-effective FPV power plants. We will create models and frameworks to mitigate financial and reliability risks, crucial for this emerging technology.

These advancements will be applied to three key FPV technologies:

• Ciel et Terre (CTI), one of the two leading international FPV technology providers
• Zimmermann (ZIM), the provider of the most widely used FPV technology in Europe
• Sunlit Sea (Sunlit), an innovative offshore-focused FPV technology.

Each of these technologies will follow a specific pathway within SuRE to reduce LCOE, improve reliability, and minimize environmental impact. FPV represents a breakthrough solution for expanding renewable energy without straining land resources. However, the growth rate and size of the future market for FPV is uncertain, influenced by cost and regulatory factors. SuRE FPV is uniting the European FPV industry to create technologies that are not only affordable and reliable but also sustainable. By doing so, we aim to increase the market share of our consortium’s FPV technologies and expand the global FPV market, paving the way for a more sustainable energy future.