Solarplaza, NL, Name QE2 Floating Solar Array 3rd Largest in the World!
In March 2016, Lightsource installed Europe’s largest ever solar PV system on a deep body of water. With a surface area of 57,000 square meters, and containing 23,046 solar panels on the surface of the Queen Elizabeth II reservoir in Surrey, powering Thames Water via private wire, this floating solar farm is the third largest on the planet, according to Solarplaza.
More and more PV plants across the world are being installed on water. Only three floating solar plants had ever been built before 2014. Over the past two years this number has grown to over 70 plants spread across the world, which has led many people to believe that this is the potential start of a new PV boom. These so called ‘floating solar systems’ (or ‘floatovoltaics’) are an appropriate solution to situations where roof and/or ground space is limited. But just how big is this niche? Where are these floating plants located and what is their size?