Inflatable

Photovoltaic panels with inflatable structure

Floating solar or floating photovoltaics (FPV), sometimes called floatovoltaics, are solar panels mounted on a structure that floats. The structures that hold the panels usually consist of plastic buoys and cables. . Floating solar offers numerous advantages over land-based, including increased efficiency via cooling, reduced evaporation and algal growth, and the financial and ecological benefits of facile installation and protecting undeveloped land. The technology enables energy companies to expand solar power without taking up more land. They are then placed on a body of water. . Tensile and inflatable structures are light-weight structures that represent a relatively low-cost way to cover wide areas and offer immeasurable opportunities for architectural expression, with freeform and complex geometries. [PDF Version]