Europe’s solar sector takes to the water

11/02/2026 | Print view
Floating solar has outgrown its test sites and is now serious business
BaWa r.e.
Floating solar has outgrown its test sites and is now serious business

With land for solar in short supply, developers are moving onto reservoirs and quarry lakes. Cooler modules lift yields, but higher costs and patchy regulation are still slowing the sector down.

Europe’s floating plants have grown from a few megawatts to more than 70 MW. Next in line is a 140 MW project in Slovenia, about twice the size of France’s current record holder, while a cement maker in Belgium already powers its sites from a floating plant on a former quarry. Aditi Jaiswal of Consegic Business Intelligence looks at why yields are higher on water, what still holds projects back and where the market is heading next. (hcn)

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