Signal Spain: first grid-connected floating PV pilot (2020), at least 100 eligible reservoirs, 15 percent cap (2024)

Summary

According to the report, Spain's first grid-connected floating solar pilot plant was installed in 2020 at the Sierra Brava reservoir in Extremadura. At least 100 state-owned reservoirs are thought to be suitable for such panels. In 2024 a regulatory framework was approved to ease deployment, capping installations at 15 percent of a reservoir's surface and setting environmental checks to prevent damage to water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Floating panels shade the surface to reduce evaporation and, thanks to steadier temperatures and less dust, run more efficiently than panels on land. The report adds that France, Portugal and the Netherlands are also investing in the technology. In Spain, where heat and sunshine evaporate millions of litres from reservoirs each year, it is presented as a way to address water and energy together.