Floating Solar
Core Development Group provides Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) services for floating solar projects, with capabilities tailored to site conditions, electrical requirements, and project scope. Floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems install solar arrays on buoyant platforms across suitable bodies of water, including reservoirs, quarry lakes, and water-treatment facilities. These projects can make productive use of available water surfaces while preserving adjacent land for other uses.
Floating solar projects require careful evaluation of site conditions,
water depth, wind and wave exposure, anchoring and mooring
requirements, electrical routing, interconnection, operations access,
and environmental considerations. When designed for the site,
floating solar can provide a scalable generation option while limiting
land disturbance and, in some applications, reducing water
evaporation.
Locations for Floating Solar
Selecting the right location is critical to the performance and
long-term operation of a floating solar system. Suitable
locations typically include calm freshwater bodies with
limited wave activity, such as man-made ponds, reservoirs,
quarry lakes, irrigation basins, and wastewater lagoons.
Hydroelectric reservoirs and certain protected near-shore
environments may also be considered based on site
conditions and project requirements.
Floating solar platforms can support onsite energy needs and
help reduce operating costs. Systems can be configured to
serve nearby electrical loads. At wastewater treatment
facilities, for example, floating solar may offset electricity used
by aeration equipment—often one of the facility’s largest
operating expenses.
As the technology advances, floating solar can provide a
practical way to expand renewable energy generation
without requiring additional land. Site-specific engineering,
anchoring, electrical integration, environmental conditions,
and maintenance access are important considerations for
every project.
Floating Solar Benefits
Uses Available
Water Space
Potential
for Improved
Efficiency
Helps Reduce
Water
Evaporation
Scalable
Energy
Generation
Limits Land Requirements
Floating Solar Project Considerations
The feasibility and economics of a floating solar project depend on water conditions, system size, anchoring and mooring requirements, electrical routing, interconnection, permitting, environmental requirements, and proximity to energy loads. Available state, utility, or local programs may also affect project economics, but eligibility and requirements vary and can change.
A site-specific assessment helps independent power producers, asset owners, and facility operators determine whether floating solar is technically and financially appropriate and define the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning requirements for the project.
Floating Solar Systems
Floating solar systems share many components with traditional ground-mounted solar systems but require specialized approaches to flotation, anchoring
and mooring, electrical routing, equipment placement, and maintenance access. Solar modules may be similar to those installed on land, but equipment
must be selected for site-specific conditions such as humidity, corrosion, wind, waves, and changing water levels.
Depending on the system design, inverters and transformers may be installed onshore or on buoyant equipment platforms. Electrical cabling must also
accommodate movement and moisture while safely conveying power from the floating array.
Floating Solar Key Components
Solar PV Modules
Solar photovoltaic modules convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. Module selection is based on system design, operating conditions, and exposure to humidity and corrosion.
Floating Platforms
Buoyant structures support the solar modules above the water and provide the stability required for long-term system operation.
Anchoring and Mooring
Anchoring and mooring systems secure the floating array, accommodate changing water levels, and help maintain stability under site-specific wind and wave conditions.
Inverters
Inverters convert the direct current generated by the solar modules into alternating current (AC) for onsite use or connection to the electrical grid.
Supporting Electrical Infrastructure
Cables, transformers, switchgear, and interconnection equipment convey electricity from the floating array to onsite loads, a substation, or the local distribution system.
Floating Solar Project Services
Floating solar can expand renewable energy generation while
making productive use of suitable water surfaces and limiting
additional land requirements. With more than a decade of
experience delivering solar and related energy projects, Core
Development Group brings practical project-execution capabilities
to floating solar applications.
Our team works with independent power producers, asset owners, utilities, and facility operators to deliver floating solar projects from site-specific design and procurement through electrical integration, interconnection, construction, and project closeout. Construction management supports disciplined execution, schedule accountability, and project delivery.
