Benefits and Critical Knowledge Gaps in Determining the Role of Floating Photovoltaics in the Energy-Water-Food Nexus

Gadzanku, Sika; Mirletz, Heather; Lee, Nathan; Daw, Jennifer; Warren, Adam

doi:10.3390/su13084317

Title: Benefits and Critical Knowledge Gaps in Determining the Role of Floating Photovoltaics in the Energy-Water-Food Nexus

Journal Article · Tue Apr 13 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Sustainability (Basel)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084317· OSTI ID:1781631

Gadzanku, Sika ^[1];

^[2];

^[1]; Daw, Jennifer ^[1]; Warren, Adam ^[2]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)

Floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) systems have become an increasingly attractive application of photovoltaics (PV) because of land-use constraints, the cost of land and site preparation, and the perceived energy and environmental co-benefits. Despite the increasing interest in FPV systems, a robust validation of their suggested co-benefits and impacts on the nexus of energy, water, and food (EWF) systems is lacking. This information gap makes it challenging for decision makers to justify its adoption—potentially suppressing FPV deployment. To address this gap and to help de-risk this PV deployment opportunity, we (1) review the suggested co-benefits of FPV systems with a focus on the impacts that could alleviate pressures on EWF systems and (2) identify areas where further research is needed to reduce uncertainty around FPV system performance. Our review reveals that EWF nexus-relevant co-benefits, such as improved panel efficiency and reduced land usage, are corroborated in the literature, whereas others, such as water quality impacts, lack empirical evidence. Our findings indicate that further research is needed to quantify the water-related and broader economic, environmental, social, sustainability, justice, and resilience co-benefits and impacts of FPV systems.

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Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1781631

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-7A40-78427; MainId:32344; UUID:f1e7f015-cad5-45ee-ab6b-d2b0ed0af4b2; MainAdminID:22368

Journal Information:: Sustainability (Basel), Vol. 13, Issue 8; ISSN 2071-1050

Publisher:: MDPICopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Benefits and Critical Knowledge Gaps in Determining the Role of Floating Photovoltaics in the Energy-Water-Food Nexus

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