Floating solar can avoid using valuable land and may fit well with hydropower or other water infrastructure. But in the available modeled comparisons, those advantages did not make floating photovoltaic (FPV) cheaper per unit of electricity: extra costs for floats, moorings, and site investigation outweighed the modeled output gains. Ground-mounted solar is often the simpler economic choice where suitable land is available; FPV can make sense when land constraints or water-system benefits change the project’s full economics.
How floating solar and ground-mounted solar differ
Floating solar, also called floating photovoltaic (FPV), puts solar panels on buoyant structures anchored on a water body. Ground-mounted solar installs panels on land. Both generate electricity from PV modules, but FPV adds water-specific structural, electrical, access, and operating requirements.
The comparison is therefore not just panel price versus panel price. It depends on the value of the land or water surface, site conditions, output, grid connection, permitting, and lifetime operating costs.
What the cost comparisons show
The available official comparisons show a consistent pattern: FPV can produce more energy in the modeled examples, but its higher project costs still resulted in higher modeled levelized cost of energy (LCOE). LCOE estimates the cost of electricity over a system’s lifetime; it is not a construction bid or a guarantee of what a current project will cost.
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NREL’s 10-MWDC model
NREL’s Q1 2021 bottom-up benchmark modeled a 10-MWDC FPV system against fixed-tilt ground-mounted PV over bare ground. It estimated an installed-cost premium of $0.26/WDC, or 25%, for FPV. Floats and anchoring were the largest contributors to the premium, while site investigation also cost more because of the added planning and design complexity.
In the same simplified scenario, NREL estimated LCOE at $57/MWh for FPV versus $47/MWh for ground-mounted PV without the Investment Tax Credit (ITC), and $38/MWh versus $32/MWh with the ITC. The model assumed higher energy production and lower operations and maintenance costs for FPV, yet those factors did not erase its modeled cost premium. NREL cautions that its simplified comparison does not capture the full value proposition of FPV and calls for lifecycle analysis that includes energy-water impacts. Read NREL’s 2021 cost benchmark.
World Bank’s illustrative 50-MWp comparison
A 2019 World Bank Group example compared fixed-tilt FPV and ground-mounted plants at 50 MWp. It estimated first-year generation of 79.6 GWh for FPV and 75.8 GWh for ground PV—a 5% increase for FPV. But the illustrative LCOE remained higher for FPV at each modeled discount rate:
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| Discount rate | FPV LCOE | Ground PV LCOE |
|---|---|---|
| 7% | 5.6 U.S. cents/kWh | 5.0 U.S. cents/kWh |
| 8% | 5.7 U.S. cents/kWh | 5.2 U.S. cents/kWh |
| 10% | 6.0 U.S. cents/kWh | 5.4 U.S. cents/kWh |
These are historical illustrative model outputs, not forecasts for present-day projects. They demonstrate why a yield advantage alone does not establish which design is cheaper. See the World Bank Group executive summary.
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Land is scarce, costly, or needed for other uses
Using an appropriate water surface can reduce competition for land, land acquisition, or land preparation. That advantage matters most where land has a high opportunity cost or where suitable sites are difficult to secure. It is not automatic: the water body must be available for the project, technically suitable, and acceptable under its existing uses and rules.
Water and power infrastructure can be shared
At suitable sites, FPV may complement hydropower or share existing infrastructure. It can also reduce evaporation in some settings. These are project-specific benefits, not guaranteed outcomes; their value depends on the water body, array design, operations, and how the facilities connect.
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Water-related cooling may increase output
Some FPV configurations can benefit from cooler operating conditions over water, but output gains vary by site and design. The cited comparisons found higher modeled generation for FPV, yet still higher LCOE. A project assessment should model output using comparable assumptions rather than treating a historical percentage as a universal performance factor.
What floating solar adds to the project
Water changes the engineering and operations plan. The World Bank identifies uncertain cost and track record, possible water-quality effects, anchoring and mooring complexity, electrical safety, and maintenance as deployment challenges. Project teams also need to assess water-body ownership and permitted use, variation in water level, wind, waves, ice where relevant, and safe access for inspection.
Ground-mounted projects avoid the floating support and mooring system, but they are not site-independent: ground conditions, site preparation, competing land uses, habitat, access, and local siting rules still affect feasibility and cost. The relevant comparison is the complete project scope, not an assumption that one environment has no complications.
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Compare the options for a specific site
For an actual project, evaluate both alternatives with consistent assumptions and local engineering and cost data. A useful comparison includes:
- Land economics: Include purchase or lease, preparation, and the opportunity cost of using the land for solar rather than another purpose.
- Water-body suitability: Confirm ownership and permitted use; assess water levels, wind, waves, ice, existing uses, and construction and maintenance access.
- System design and investigation: Compare project size, floats, moorings, foundations, electrical design, and the site investigations each option requires.
- Energy production: Model annual generation and degradation with comparable design, weather, and operating assumptions.
- Grid and shared infrastructure: Include interconnection costs and assess whether hydropower or other existing site infrastructure can be shared.
- Environmental review and permits: For FPV, examine water quality, aquatic and shoreline conditions, and water uses; for ground PV, examine land use, habitat, agriculture, and visual impacts. Confirm applicable local rules for both.
- Lifecycle economics: Compare construction, operations and maintenance, insurance, financing, and other lifetime costs alongside any land, water, or infrastructure benefits.
Do not apply the cost premium or output gain from a historical model directly to a new project. The cited NREL and World Bank examples use specific modeled scopes and assumptions; local bids, site studies, permitting, and financing determine whether the balance changes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How widespread is floating solar?
The World Bank Group’s 2018 report recorded global FPV capacity of 10 MW at the end of 2014 and 1.1 GW as of September 2018, and gave a conservative global potential estimate of 400 GW. These are historical market figures and a potential estimate, not current installed-capacity data. The report’s rationale remains useful for understanding the technology’s appeal: water surfaces can be valuable where land is constrained, and some installations may work alongside hydropower. Read the World Bank Group’s 2018 floating solar market report.
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In a 2018 NREL release, energy-water-land analyst Jordan Macknick described the regional difference this way: “In the United States, it’s been a niche application; where in other places, it’s really been a necessity.” This was a dated observation about land constraints, not a statement of current market size. Read NREL’s release.
Which option should a project choose?
Ground-mounted PV is often favored in simplified cost comparisons when suitable land is available and FPV’s potential co-benefits do not outweigh its added costs. FPV deserves serious consideration where land is limited or expensive, a suitable water surface is available, or shared infrastructure and water-system value materially improve the project case. Neither is universally cheaper or better: the answer depends on site-specific lifecycle economics and constraints.
NREL’s later overview discusses research on both floating and ground-mount PV and emphasizes the limits of cost-only comparisons. Read NREL’s 2024 overview.
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