THE IMPACT OF FLOATING SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAICS ON PRIMARY PRODUCTION IN A FRESHWATER LAKE

Despite the advantages of floating solar photovoltaics (FPVs), such as increased energy efficiency and reduced land use, their environmental impact remains unclear. Most studies addressing this knowledge gap have focused on FPVs’ impact on abiotic parameters, providing insight into their direct influence on the physical environment. However, little is known about how these changes may have knock-on effects on ecological processes and the rest of the food web. Moreover, most empirical studies rely on monitoring data of up to several months, highlighting the scarcity of multiyear observations. As part of the Horizon Europe project SuRE, we explored primary production, which is an important ecological process that supports ecosystem functioning in freshwater lakes. Using nearly three years of monitoring data from a quarry lake in the Netherlands, we found that oxygen levels under FPV systems were significantly lower, corresponding to a sharp decline in primary production in the upper water layer. Because primary production supports zooplankton and higher trophic levels and plays an important role in nutrient cycling, reductions can have consequences for the entire aquatic ecosystem. Our findings emphasize why multiyear monitoring and baseline data collection are essential for sustainable FPV deployment. Furthermore, we will share insights from ongoing modeling work that helps to explain these findings.

Presentation Preference: Standard Oral (12 Minutes)

Primary Presenter: Emma van Veenendaal, Deltares & The University of Twente (emma.vanveenendaal@deltares.nl)

Authors:

Emma van Veenendaal, Deltares & The University of Twente  (emma.vanveenendaal@deltares.nl)

Tineke Troost, Deltares  (tineke.troost@deltares.nl)

Sacha de Rijk, Deltares  (sacha.derijk@deltares.nl)

Lisa van Eck, Deltares  (lisa.vaneck@deltares.nl)

Ynze Kamstra, Wageningen University & Research  (ynze.kamstra@wur.nl)

Lisette de Senerpont Domis, The University of Twente  (l.n.desenerpontdomis@utwente.nl)