Hello,

In the case of installing a photovoltaic park on a body of water,

could you give me an idea of the distance between two modules in a row?

Similarly, what would be the distance between two rows?

The body of water is in the south of France

Thank you very much

Is the Mediterranean in the South of France?

2m inter row and 100mm inter panel should be fine if module sizes and waves aren't defined.

Thank you very much! Yes, it's quite close to the Mediterranean.

I have three additional questions:

1.are the photovoltaic modules specific to this area?

2.Also, do you have any idea of the capital expenditure (capex) costs per megawatt, excluding grid connection?

3.And finally, do you know of any equipment suppliers for this type of project? Thanks again and have a good day.

2 hours ago, RAMSES said:

Thank you very much! Yes, it's quite close to the Mediterranean.

I have three additional questions:

1.are the photovoltaic modules specific to this area?

2.Also, do you have any idea of the capital expenditure (capex) costs per megawatt, excluding grid connection?

3.And finally, do you know of any equipment suppliers for this type of project? Thanks again and have a good day.

1.Modules are not special floating PV uses standard utility-scale solar panels (mono or bifacial), just mounted on flotation structures.

2.CAPEX (excluding grid connection) is roughly €900,000 – €1,300,000 per MW depending on project size, design and site conditions (water depth, anchoring, installation logistics).

3.Suppliers: Floating systems: Ciel & Terre, BayWa r.e., NRG Island (among others).

PV panels: Trina Solar, LONGi, JA Solar, Canadian Solar, (mainstream industrial manufacturers).

At 43° latitude in southern France, with 10–15° tilt typical for floating PV, row spacing should be approximately 1.0–1.2 meters to avoid winter solstice shading at solar noon.

Modules in the same row are typically mounted edge-to-edge with 10–20 mm expansion gap.

Edited February 28Feb 28 by TaliaB

Hello TaliaB,

thank you for this valuable information.

I'm in France, so please don't hesitate to contact me if I can help you in any way.

Ok, you got me, I don't know anything about floating solar. But doesn't the floatation system determine half the constraints?

7 hours ago, frivan said:

Ok, you got me, I don't know anything about floating solar. But doesn't the floatation system determine half the constraints?

Yes, absolutely. In floating PV, the flotation and anchoring system determines much of the structural and geometric constraints including tilt angle, row spacing, block size, wind resistance, and maintenance access. The modules are standard, but the float system is what defines the mechanical limits of the plant.

If we compare 30° vs 10° tilt at 43°N, annual yield only drops by about 3 to 5%, but row spacing reduces by roughly 50%, which significantly increases power density and lowers structural loads. That’s why floating PV systems typically use 10 to15° tilt the flotation system favors compact, low profile geometry.

hello,

The PVGIS.COM database gives a GHI (Yearly in-plane irradiation [kWh/m2]) of 1552.74 at a 10° inclination / azimuth 0°

At a 30° angle of inclination, we have 1674.13

What do you think of this elevation profile? It's a water reservoir for agriculture with a fairly shallow depth of about 5 meters.

5 hours ago, RAMSES said:

What do you think of this elevation profile? It's a water reservoir for agriculture with a fairly shallow depth of about 5 meters.

Based on the elevation profile, the reservoir has a relatively flat basin with ~4–5 m depth and manageable bank slopes. This is technically suitable for floating PV with deadweight anchoring. The key parameters to confirm would be seasonal water level variation, sediment strength, and wind exposure rather than depth itself.

5 hours ago, RAMSES said:

The PVGIS.COM database gives a GHI (Yearly in-plane irradiation [kWh/m2]) of 1552.74 at a 10° inclination / azimuth 0°

At a 30° angle of inclination, we have 1674.13

PVGIS is correct 30° tilt increases annual plane-of-array irradiation by about 7% compared to 10°. However, floating PV systems typically use lower tilt because it significantly increases packing density and reduces wind and structural loads. In practice, total energy per hectare is often higher at 10–15° despite the lower irradiation per module.

Hello,

Thank you for this information, which gives me an overview of the issues. I understand that wind resistance can limit the possibilities, but do you know if the flotation systems allow for different module configurations: 1V (a single module placed in portrait orientation) or 2V (two modules stacked in portrait orientation) or even (2H)?

9 minutes ago, RAMSES said:

Hello,

Thank you for this information, which gives me an overview of the issues. I understand that wind resistance can limit the possibilities, but do you know if the flotation systems allow for different module configurations: 1V (a single module placed in portrait orientation) or 2V (two modules stacked in portrait orientation) or even (2H)?

Here is a visual representation of the 2 design profiles. Pictures supplied by ECO-Business.com and Energetica-India.net.

Hello,

thank you for all.