Floating solar has emerged as an increasingly important segment of the renewable energy sector as developers look to overcome land constraints and improve project economics. Reservoirs, hydropower dams, industrial water bodies, and irrigation ponds are attracting growing interest for solar deployment, supported by policy initiatives and technological advances.

In this interview with Mercom India, Deepak Ushadevi, Managing Director and CEO at Ciel & Terre India, discusses the factors driving floating solar adoption, the engineering challenges associated with large-scale projects, climate resilience considerations, and how innovations are shaping the next phase of market growth.

Floating solar has evolved from a niche technology into a utility-scale renewable energy solution. What factors have driven this transformation, and how do you see the global and Indian floating solar markets evolving over the next five years?

Three forces have driven the transformation of floating solar: land scarcity, technological maturity, and strong policy support. In India, competing land demands have pushed developers towards reservoirs, irrigation tanks, and hydropower dams.

Ciel et Terre pioneered the industry in 2011 with Hydrelio® and has since installed 3.1 GW across 350+ plants in 33+ countries. Our next-generation platform is purpose-built for gigawatt-scale deployment. PM-KUSUM, MNRE floating solar targets, and state-level tenders have strengthened the policy framework. Falling panel prices and our reduced float footprint have narrowed the LCOE gap with ground-mounted solar. Over the next five years, India is on course to become one of the top three global floating solar markets.

Among reservoirs, hydropower dams, irrigation ponds, industrial water bodies, and mining pits, which segments offer the greatest opportunity for floating solar deployment in India, and why?

Reservoirs and hydropower dams offer the greatest near-term opportunity. Across states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, reservoirs combine large surface areas, existing grid connectivity, and government ownership, simplifying land-use agreements. Hydropower dams enable hydro-solar hybridization, with floating solar generating during the day and reducing water drawdown, thereby conserving reservoir capacity for peak demand.

Industrial water bodies are a rapidly growing segment as RPO-obligated companies seek on-site renewable options without acquiring land. Irrigation ponds reduce water evaporation while powering pumps directly, a compelling dual benefit in water-stressed states.

As extreme weather events become more frequent, project resilience is becoming increasingly important. How are design and engineering priorities in floating solar evolving to improve long-term durability, reliability, and climate resilience?

Climate resilience is now a central engineering priority. Every design starts with rigorous site-specific data: peak gust wind speeds, wave-action modeling, and the full range of water-level fluctuations over a 25-year life. Our triangular structural geometry, the same principle used in bridges, distributes forces efficiently across the structure rather than concentrating loads at single failure points, delivering superior stability under wind, wave, and thermal stresses. In some projects, multi-point mooring systems accommodate water-level variations of up to 20 meters while maintaining structural integrity. HDPE floats are UV-stabilized, corrosion-resistant, and flex-tolerant.

FUSIO®’s compact design also reduces wind-exposed surface area compared with earlier platforms, improving storm survivability. Continuous remote monitoring enables proactive response before anomalies escalate into failures.

FUSIO introduces a honeycomb-based floating structure and a different approach to load distribution. More broadly, how is floating solar technology evolving beyond first-generation designs, and which innovations do you expect to become industry standards over the coming years?

In general, current floating systems are adapted for ground mounting to water, with rigid connections that concentrate stress, limited ventilation, and retrofitted mooring. Our honeycomb-inspired triangular architecture distributes forces across a lattice, delivering superior fatigue resistance under dynamic loading. Its elevated panel layout improves natural airflow, increasing energy yield by 2–3% in warm climates. Submerged cabling benefits from water cooling, extending component lifespan. It offers 5° or 12° tilt and supports modules up to 800 Wp.

Its compact triangular design significantly reduces transport volumes and logistics complexity, making it particularly suitable for remote and large‑scale projects. Streamlined manufacturing processes enable faster lead times, while simplified on‑site assembly supports rapid deployment of large FPV plants.

Its exclusive catamaran-based O&M system enables safe access to every panel and cable without requiring operators to walk the array, setting a new maintenance standard for large-scale floating solar.

What are the key areas of R&D and product innovation that Ciel & Terre is focusing on to support larger, more resilient, and more cost-effective floating solar projects?

Our R&D priorities reflect market demands as projects scale, with a focus on faster installation, lower whole-life costs, and integration with complementary technologies. Modular scalability is a core focus, and ongoing work to improve assembly efficiency is reducing on-water construction time for large arrays.

The catamaran O&M system is being further developed to integrate automated cleaning and inspection.

Floating solar combined with co-located battery storage improves dispatchability and is a growing area of development. Agrivoltaic water-body models that integrate floating solar with aquaculture have strong social and economic potential in Asia. Supply chain localization in India, including the development of local float manufacturing, reduces logistics costs, supports Make in India, and directly improves LCOE for Indian project developers.

India and Southeast Asia have emerged as priority markets for large-scale floating solar deployment. What makes these markets particularly attractive from both a technical and commercial perspective?

India and Southeast Asia combine technical and commercial drivers, making them the world’s most attractive floating solar markets. Both regions have extensive networks of inland water bodies already connected to power infrastructure. High solar irradiance drives strong energy output, and our elevated panel layout delivers 2–3% higher yield through enhanced thermal regulation, compounding over a 25-year project life.

Commercially, India has committed to 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity; land scarcity makes water-surface deployment increasingly economical. MNRE floating solar guidelines, active state tenders, and growing lender familiarity underpin the investment environment.

Ciel et Terre’s 3.1 GWp track record across 350+ plants in 33+ countries provides the bankability assurance that developers and financiers require.

Floating solar is often associated with higher energy yields due to the cooling effect of water. In practical terms, how significant is this advantage, and under what project conditions does it have the greatest impact on overall project economics?

The cooling advantage is real and quantifiable. Panels lose about 0.3–0.5% efficiency for every degree Celsius above 25°C; ground-mounted panels in India regularly reach 60–70°c. Floating Solar’s evaporative cooling keeps panels meaningfully cooler, delivering a 5–15% yield improvement over land-based systems. Our technology goes further; its elevated panel layout enhances airflow, yielding an additional 2–3% gain.

Submerged cabling also benefits from water cooling. For a 100 MW project, a 5% yield gain represents 5 MW of additional effective generation without extra hardware, substantial additional revenue over 25 years, and a directly lower LCOE.

The advantage is greatest in hot climates like India and Southeast Asia, at large-scale utilities, where small percentage gains translate into large absolute volumes, and in hydropower-integrated projects.

As floating solar projects scale from tens of megawatts to hundreds of megawatts, and potentially to gigawatt-scale installations, which operational, engineering, and maintenance challenges become increasingly critical?

Scaling introduces a distinct category of engineering challenge. Anchoring and mooring complexity increases dramatically. A 300 MW array must manage varied tension loads across non-uniform water depths while absorbing dynamic loads without localized failures.

Our system distributes forces more efficiently, reducing peak stress at connection points. Electrical architecture scales in complexity. Its water-cooled submerged cabling reduces heat-related degradation across large arrays. Logistics benefits from its compact design, which reduces transport volumes and accelerates assembly.

For O&M, our maintenance system provides safe access to every panel and cable with integrated cleaning, eliminating the need for operators to walk the structure.

What technical and site-specific risks should developers carefully evaluate before deploying floating solar projects on reservoirs, hydropower dams, industrial water bodies, or nearshore locations?

Floating solar site evaluation is far more complex than for ground-mounted projects. Peak gust wind speeds, not averages, drive mooring and structural design.

Our compact geometry reduces the wind-exposed surface area. Water-level fluctuation ranges must be fully characterized so mooring systems can safely accommodate the full operational envelope. Water chemistry is often underestimated. Aggressive chemicals in industrial water bodies and certain freshwater chemistries can accelerate corrosion if materials are not correctly specified.

Bathymetry, depth profiles, and sediment conditions determine the anchoring approach. Irregular profiles may require multiple anchoring methods within a single array. At hydropower dams, operational protocols constrain design and require close coordination from the outset.

Have geopolitical tensions in East Asia or broader supply chain disruptions affected product availability, delivery timelines, component sourcing, freight costs, or overall project economics for floating solar systems?

The impact has been real. HDPE, the primary float material, is derived from crude oil. Geopolitical tensions have fuelled oil price volatility, driving sharp increases in floating structure costs. Steel, anchoring, mooring, freight, and marine insurance costs have all risen.

Ciel et Terre’s strategic response is to develop regional manufacturing and supply chains in India, thereby reducing logistics dependence and improving supply certainty. This localization aligns with Make in India priorities and directly improves project economics. Supply chain diversification will enhance resilience, but developers must build realistic risk assumptions into procurement and contract structures.