Carbon removal must quadruple to meet climate targets, researchers say

As climate change progresses, more and more emphasis is placed on net zero and decarbonization of the energy system. Several technologies are contributing to this agenda, but among them, the growth of solar PV continues to exceed all projections. With increasing pressures on land use and the costs of building-mounted PV, bodies of water are increasingly being used to host these technologies. To date, however, we lack an understanding of the global potential of floating solar PV and therefore do not yet have sufficient insight to inform on (un)suitable areas for future deployment. Here we quantify the power generation potential of floating solar photovoltaics on more than 1 million bodies of water worldwide (14,906 TWh). Our analysis suggests that at a conservative 10 % of area coverage, floating solar PV systems could produce enough energy to contribute a significant portion (on average 16 %) to electricity demand in some countries, thus playing an important role in decarbonizing national economies. . (According to Reuters, more at  reuters.com)