{"id":83077,"date":"2026-08-25T18:18:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T12:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=83077"},"modified":"2026-08-25T18:18:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T12:48:41","slug":"floating-solar-systems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/25-08-2026\/floating-solar-systems","title":{"rendered":"Potential of Floating Solar systems in India\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Environment&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The recent approval of the <strong>Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY)<\/strong> signals the Indian government\u2019s intent to promote land-neutral solar applications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Background and Need&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s solar capacity has grown from <strong>3 gigawatts (GW) in 2016 to more than 160 GW in 2026<\/strong>, mostly through utility-scale projects.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>But with solar having to compete with urbanisation and agriculture for space, and ecological conservation a priority,<strong> land is becoming increasingly difficult to find for new projects.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Therefore Policymakers are discovering <strong>ways to increase solar without requiring additional land.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Floating solar systems<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It involves the <strong>mounting of solar modules on floating platforms <\/strong>over water bodies such as reservoirs and lakes.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The platforms are moored to the bed or shores of the reservoir to hold them in position.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Depending on the system design, inverters and other electrical equipment may be located on floating platforms or onshore.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Floating solar systems produce electricity which is sent to <strong>land by electrical cables.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Because they do not require land for installation, industrial ponds, reservoirs, and inland water bodies are ideal for the deployment of floating solar.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Benefits&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Land conservation:\u00a0 <\/strong>Floating solar is an effective land use and economic advantage by reducing the demand on limited land.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Water Conservation:<\/strong> Solar panels can help reduce water evaporation, yet the amount of water saved will be dependent on the level of coverage, climate, and reservoir characteristics.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>More efficiency<\/strong>: The panels are cooled with water, which means better performance and efficiency, especially during hot summers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Progress<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>NTPC Limited commissioned two of India\u2019s largest floating solar projects in 2022: the <strong>100 MW Ramagundam project in Telangana <\/strong>and the<strong> 92 MW Kayamkulum project in Kerala.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Another milestone project is the <strong>600 MW Omkareshwar Floating Solar Park in Madhya Pradesh<\/strong>, with 278 MW capacity operating as of now.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India has currently around <strong>700 MW of floating solar electricity with a potential of 102 GW <\/strong>(only 20 per cent of the reservoir area being exploited).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges to handle&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Weather-related vulnerability: <\/strong>Floating solar systems are exposed to extreme winds, waves, and rapidly changing water levels, making climate-resilient system design crucial.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cost<\/strong>:\u00a0 Floating solar is generally more expensive than traditional ground-mounted solar because of the cost of floating platforms, anchoring systems, specialised electrical equipment, and installation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The inclusion of energy storage systems will further increase overall capital costs.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Coordination <\/strong>among multiple institutions (including state agencies, municipal authorities, electricity utilities, water resources and irrigation departments, environmental authorities, and industries) is complex.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Union Cabinet approved the <strong>Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY)<\/strong>, a \u20b95,070 crore scheme to accelerate the development of <strong>floating solar photovoltaic (FSPV) projects<\/strong> integrated with energy storage systems across the country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The scheme aims to develop 5,000 MW of floating solar capacity along with 10,000 MWh of co-located energy storage, providing a minimum storage duration of two hours.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Projects will be sanctioned between FY 2026-27 and FY 2030-31, while financial assistance will continue to be disbursed until FY 2032-33.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Under the scheme, the Centre will provide Central Financial Assistance (CFA) of \u20b91 crore per MW for eligible floating solar projects after successful commissioning.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Suggestions&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ecologically sensitive water bodies, as well as areas important for biodiversity, bird habitats, and fisheries, should be treated with caution and approved for floating solar development only after thorough assessments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Developing clear frameworks for identifying and allocating suitable water bodies, defining institutional responsibilities, and streamlining approvals will therefore be vital for successful implementation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-sci-tech\/floating-solar-india-pm-ssy-scheme-renewable-clean-energy-10846089\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> In News <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The recent approval of the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) signals the Indian government\u2019s intent to promote land-neutral solar applications. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> Background and Need\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> India\u2019s solar capacity has grown from 3 gigawatts (GW) in 2016 to more than 160 GW in 2026, mostly through utility-scale projects.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> But with solar having to compete with urbanisation and agriculture for space, and ecological conservation a priority, land is becoming increasingly difficult to find for new projects.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/25-08-2026\/floating-solar-systems\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83077"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83077\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83080,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83077\/revisions\/83080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}