Is there room for floating solar in the Netherlands?
Is there room for floating solar in the Netherlands?
Other Experts:
- Updated:
SPARKLES PhD candidate Annanta Kaul presented her research at the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) 2026 in Rotterdam. As the longest-running international conference on photovoltaic research, technology and applications, EU PVSEC brings together the global solar community, making it the right stage for a question that matters for the energy transition: which Dutch inland water bodies are suitable for floating PV (FPV)?
From every water body to the suitable few
Annanta’s analysis started with all water bodies within Dutch national territory and narrowed these down to inland water bodies. She then assessed several pillars of suitability using national-scale geospatial analysis.
The first pillar is environmental protection. Sensitive areas such as Natura 2000 sites are screened out, and zones covered by the Water Framework Directive are examined more closely. The second is competing uses. Water is rarely unused, so the analysis accounts for shipping routes and recreational zones.
Can the grid take it?
Suitable water is only half the story. Two case studies in the presentation also looked at grid feasibility. With grid congestion a major challenge in the Netherlands, they tested whether, and when, a grid connection for an FPV system is feasible.
What’s next in SPARKLES
Within SPARKLES, Annanta will dig deeper into site suitability, the dual use of water bodies, and opportunities for grid integration of FPV in the Netherlands. Together, this work aims to show not just where floating solar could go, but where it makes sense.