The new standards, DNV ST C108 Structural design of floats for floating photovoltaic systems and DNV ST E309 Station keeping of floating solar photovoltaic systems, sit alongside DNV RP 0584 Design, development and operation of floating solar photovoltaic systems, the world's first recommended practice on FPV, originally released in 2021 and due for an update in June 2026. Together, the documents provide a comprehensive and aligned framework for the design, analysis, operation and risk management of FPV systems across their full life cycle, from component to system level.
USD 9.2 billion market by 2035
Floating solar is increasingly being deployed on inland and near-shore water bodies as developers seek to expand renewable capacity while easing competition for land. As projects scale up, technical robustness and consistency in engineering practice become critical to investor confidence, insurability and long-term asset performance. The floating solar market is expected to grow from USD 7.9 billion in 2026 to USD 9.2 billion by 2035, a CAGR of 1.7%.
Solar Investors Guide #4 – Mounting on tricky terrain
"Floating solar is moving from niche applications to large-scale infrastructure," said Ditlev Engel, CEO, Energy Systems at DNV. "These new standards are designed to help the industry manage risk, improve reliability and enable innovation while maintaining appropriate safety margins."
A flexible framework
DNV ST C108 sets out technical requirements for the structural design and qualification of FPV float structures, addressing both short-term and long-term performance. It introduces a flexible, performance-based design approach that aligns engineering and testing requirements with the potential consequences of float failure, while supporting cost-effective and innovative solutions. The standard covers safety classification, design basis, material qualification, structural design, testing and corrosion protection, with particular attention to non-metallic materials and degradation caused by solar irradiation.
Floating PV best practice guidelines published
DNV ST E309 establishes principles and methodologies for the design of mooring and station-keeping systems in floating solar applications. It provides guidance on design loads, load combinations and analysis procedures, and sets out specific requirements for components and system configurations to reduce the risk of failure across the station-keeping system. A failure modes, effects and criticality analysis forms the basis for risk assessment within the standard, while safety factors are calibrated through structural reliability analysis to ensure alignment between methodology and risk level.
DNV RP 0584 brings together requirements, recommendations and guidelines for the design, development, operation and decommissioning of FPV systems. It is intended to apply across major global markets and focuses primarily on FPV systems in sheltered inland and near-shore water bodies, while explicitly defining the limits of applicability for harsher offshore environments, where it serves only as general guidance or reference. (hcn)
