On the 23rd and 24th of June, 2021, the Floating Solar PV Forum was held to help further the cause of the floating PV market. It's fair to say it was successful in achieving this and more.
The event offered an ideal opportunity to obtain comprehensive and in-depth information about floating PV; an opportunity that was graciously taken. Various aspects of floating PV were presented and discussed in several sessions: From market developments and first-hand best practice examples on lakes and off the coast, to financing possibilities and technical challenges above and below the water surface. Critically, the Forum was able to provide attendees with seminal insights for successful operations within a digitally shifted green energy landscape, while offering the ideal space for networking with industry players; senior managers, decision-makers, and practitioners operating in the industries and making the most of floating PV solar technologies.
The First Day of the Event
https://youtu.be/SmpPkuAa3u8
The first day was chaired by Børge Bjørneklett, the Founder and CEO of Ocean Sun. There was a panel discussion held by Rolf Benjamin Johansen, Philip Napier-Moore, Anna Ebanoidze, and Børge Bjørneklett on the Funding Floating Offshore Projects. At other points during the conference, we had representatives of different industries such as Ciel & Terre, EBRD, the Renewable Energy Markets and Standards Analyst, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and others giving an insight into technical operations, funding, feasibility, risk management, and hybridization of Floating PV Projects. Here's a selection of the speakers on the day and their case studies:
The Final Day of the Event
The final day was about consolidating the views from the first day and bringing in fresh perspectives. Andres Franco, a pioneer in the Floating PV space, gracefully shared key Learnings gathered from 12 years of experience in the industry. We also had two very insightful roundtable discussions featuring the likes of Filipe Guerra, Michele Tagliapietra, Toni Weigl, Rikus Mouton, Asun Padrós Razquin, Jan Kroon, Lynch Mattias, Maria Ikhennicheu, Esteban Camacho, and Even J. Kvelland. They treated issues concerning the best practices and standardization for Floating Solar, alongside technical aspects above and below the water surface of Floating Solar PV Plants. There were many more amazing sessions by respected parties highlighted below:
Most importantly, the Floating PV Forum set the stage for energy leaders to steer us into a new world. Now, the opportunity exists to reimagine, recreate and redefine our society in a new and greener image with renewable energy at its beating heart. We are proud to be part of such a cause.
We appreciate all the attendees, speakers, sponsors, and stakeholders who made this event such a resounding success. We look forward to even more impactful events, hopefully in person.
