Researchers test accuracy of simulation tools for floating PV

A groundbreaking study from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) has delivered critical insights into the reliability of key simulation tools for floating photovoltaic (FPV) projects, finding significant discrepancies between predicted and actual performance. Their two-year evaluation, concluded last month, revealed that while PVsyst showed the highest accuracy for energy yield, PVSOL consistently overestimated output, raising red flags for project developers banking on these models for investment decisions. This research arrives as FPV is gaining unprecedented traction, particularly in water-stressed nations like India, which aims for 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. Unreliable performance prediction directly impacts the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) and investor confidence, potentially slowing the deployment of FPV as a viable alternative to land-intensive solar farms. The IITM team's findings underscore the urgent need for model recalibration, especially as FPV arrays face unique environmental stressors not fully captured by traditional simulation frameworks. The immediate fallout is likely to be heightened scrutiny from project financiers and insurers, demanding more rigorous validation data before committing capital to new FPV ventures. Software developers for PVsyst, PVSOL, and SAM are now under pressure to integrate FPV-specific algorithms that account for factors like evaporative cooling, wave action, and unique shading profiles. This study sets a new benchmark for validating renewable energy models, forcing a critical re-evaluation across the burgeoning FPV sector globally.