Upsolar System Italia Srl., the European unit of solar photovoltaic module producer Upsolar, says it will make its floating solar PV product available in Europe.

Upsolar will use a structure created by Koine, a design company that specializes in floating platforms.

The solar array is made up of PV modules mounted on top of a galvanized steel assembly which in turn sits on top of high-density polyethylene floats. The entire installation is anchored in place by nylon cables.

(Read "How Does Solar Energy Work? PV Basics.")

The surrounding body of water acts as a cooling system that lowers the panel’s operating temperature, increasing the module efficiency by an average of 15% as well as its lifespan. Upsolar says that maintenance costs also may be lower due to fewer land-based factors such as vegetation growth that could cover and reduce module performance.

In December, Upsolar Singapore deployed a floating PV system at Tengeh Reservoir in Singapore. The system is part of the joint project overseen by the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) and spearheaded by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and Singapore’s National Water Agency, as part of Singapore’s green initiatives to assess the viability of using floating PV systems.