Key issues in the design of floating photovoltaic structures for the marine environment

The floating photovoltaic (FPV) market has been expanding at an impressive rate over the last decade, doubling its global installed capacity year after year. This growth was possible due to the numerous advantages FPV plants pose over ground-mounted plants, which are mainly related to land occupation and energy efficiency. However, this expansion has been limited to freshwater applications, despite the vast potential that the offshore environment entails. The lack of maturity of the sector and the harsher environmental conditions have hindered the transition of this technology to the marine environment. Furthermore, a lack of publications regarding the structural analysis of this technology was found, as well as no specific designs standards for marine FPV. On these grounds, this article reviews the design aspects of this technology with a focus on marine applications, highlighting relevant aspects to be tackled. First, the main components of the FPV technology are described and their compatibility with the marine environment is assessed. Then, a structural classification of the current plants is proposed. This allows the individual suitability analysis of each typology for the marine environment. Existing marine FPV projects are described and classified. Afterwards, synergies between marine FPV plants and other sectors are gathered and discussed. Finally, general design guidelines are provided, with a focus on the structural response of FPV structures subjected to marine environmental actions. Insight on the nature of these actions (wind, waves, currents, and tides) as well as how they interact with FPV plants is provided.