Spain approves rules for floating solar installations on reservoirs

Floating solar panels will be allowed to cover between 5% and 15% of the total surface area of reservoirs in the public water domain in Spain, according to new regulation approved by the Spanish government on Tuesday.

The size of the arrays will be determined by the trophic state of the reservoir -- the worse the quality of its waters, the greater its coverage can be, the Spanish ministry for the ecological transition said after the approval of the new royal decree on the requirements for installing floating solar panels.

A 15% coverage is allowed in the case of eutrophic reservoirs, distinguished by high biological productivity, or those at risk of eutrophication. This is down from 20% proposed in the draft royal decree two years ago.

When it comes to non-eutrophic reservoirs, the maximum percentage of total covered surface is limited to 5%.

In any case, these limits may be reduced depending on the operating regime or pre-existing uses and rights, among others, the ministry said.

Floating solar farms cannot be installed on lakes, lagoons or other water bodies that are not considered highly modified or artificial. The ban also applies to surfaces that are highly modified or artificial, but enjoy some form of environmental protection.

Public reservoirs are managed by basin agencies, which may launch competitive tenders to grant permits for the installation of floating solar plants or process permit applications at the request of project developers. A concession to use public reservoirs for floating solar can granted for a period of up to 25 years.

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