"Cabinet approves ₹5,070-crore scheme to scale floating solar capacity"
Floating Solar Photovoltaics (FSPV)
solar panels mounted on buoyant platforms anchored to reservoirs or water bodies
Central Financial Assistance (CFA)
government grant per MW to reduce project costs and catalyse private investment
India's solar energy expansion has been one of the most ambitious renewable energy stories of the 21st century, with installed solar capacity crossing roughly 100 GW — the overwhelming majority of which is ground-mounted. However, this growth has been geographically concentrated: states like Rajasthan and Gujarat, endowed with vast tracts of low-cost land and high solar irradiation, have attracted the bulk of investment. This spatial imbalance creates systemic risks — transmission bottlenecks, grid congestion in specific corridors, and exclusion of land-scarce but water-rich states from the solar transition.
Floating solar photovoltaics (FSPV) — panels mounted on buoyant platforms anchored to reservoirs, irrigation tanks, and industrial ponds — emerged globally as a solution to land scarcity. India's first significant floating solar installations appeared on irrigation reservoirs in southern states, but the technology remained niche. The National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) subsequently conducted a comprehensive assessment that estimated India's technical floating solar potential at 102.18 GW, accounting for perennial water availability, suitable depth, solar irradiation levels, and proximity to grid infrastructure. States like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, and Telangana hold the largest share of this potential — precisely the states underrepresented in ground-mounted solar deployment.
India's commitment to 500 GW of non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by 2030 — a cornerstone of its Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement — has made diversifying the solar portfolio from a policy preference into a strategic necessity. Land acquisition has increasingly emerged as a structural bottleneck, with ground-mounted solar typically requiring three to four times more land per megawatt than the physical panel footprint, and rehabilitation and resettlement costs rising sharply.
Floating solar systems consist of photovoltaic panels mounted on buoyant platforms — typically high-density polyethylene (HDPE) floats — anchored to the bed of a water body using mooring and anchoring systems. Electrical output is transmitted via underwater or overhead cables to onshore inverters and grid connection points. The technology offers several operational advantages over conventional ground-mounted systems.
First, water-cooling effect: panels operating over water benefit from lower ambient temperatures, which improves photovoltaic conversion efficiency (solar panels lose efficiency as temperature rises). Second, reduced soiling losses: water bodies generate less dust than arid land surfaces, reducing the frequency and cost of panel cleaning. Third, water conservation: floating panels shade the reservoir surface, reducing evaporation — a significant co-benefit in water-stressed regions. Fourth, no agricultural land displacement: by using existing reservoirs and industrial ponds, FSPV avoids competition with farming communities, reducing social conflict and resettlement costs. …
Consider the following statements:
1.Gujarat has the largest solar park in India.
2.Kerala has a fully solar powered International Airport.
3.Goa has the largest floating solar photovoltaic project in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The term 'Domestic Content Requirement' is sometimes seen in the news with reference to
With reference to solar power production in India, consider the following statements :
1.India is the third largest in the world in the manufacture of silicon wafers used in photovoltaic units.
2.The solar power tariffs are determined by the Solar Energy Corporation of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to solar water pumps, consider the following statements:
1.Solar power can be used for running surface pumps and not for submersible pumps.
2.Solar power can be used for running centrifugal pumps and not for the ones with piston.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY), consider the following statements:
1.It provides central financial assistance of up to ₹1 crore per MW for floating solar projects.
2.The scheme is implemented by the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE).
3.It mandates battery energy storage equivalent to at least two hours for supported projects.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Which of the following correctly describes an operational advantage of floating solar photovoltaics over conventional ground-mounted solar systems?
Consider the following statements regarding India's floating solar potential:
1.The National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) estimated India's floating solar technical potential at over 102 GW.
2.Rajasthan and Gujarat account for the largest share of India's floating solar potential.
3.India's largest floating solar project is located on the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Assertion (A): Floating solar projects are more expensive per MW than ground-mounted solar projects.
Reason (R): Floating solar requires additional expenditure on buoyant platforms, anchoring, mooring systems, and specialised underwater cabling.
Which of the following is correct?
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