Public Acceptance: The Key to the Fast Growth of Floating Solar Power Plants and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Padang (ANTARA) - Floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems, which are solar panels mounted on reservoirs, lakes, and coastal waters, are among the most exciting areas in renewable energy. The total global capacity has increased a lot from 10 MWp in 2014 to around 2.6 GWp in 2020. The World Bank estimates the global potential at around 400 GWp. The technology has many advantages, such as saving land, using natural water for cooling, which makes it 8-10% more efficient, reducing water evaporation by up to 70%, and working well with existing hydropower infrastructure.

Public acceptance is crucial for the successful expansion of floating solar power and achieving sustainable development goals, making it essential for stakeholders to prioritise community support.

The Hard Lessons from Land-Based Renewables
Wind farms and ground-mounted solar projects often face strong opposition from local communities. This is usually because people are worried about poorly thought-out plans. It is not that people are against renewable energy itself. Many projects ignore local issues, ruin the landscape, and do nothing useful. Research shows that renewable energy projects may be delayed or cancelled if they don't have public support. For example, in South Korea in 2017, 37.5% of approved solar and wind projects were delayed or cancelled because local communities were against them.

FPV projects are also at risk of facing the same challenges. Water is important to people for many reasons. It is used for recreation, fishing, and the water supply. It is also important for the environment. People who live near water value it because it helps the local economy. The introduction of FPV can change how we see the environment and make environmental management more difficult. If FPV developers do not prioritise gaining public acceptance, they may encounter the same difficulties as their land-based counterparts.

What Communities Actually Care About
The research examines factors that influence whether local people support floating solar projects. The effect on the landscape and its appearance is a major concern. Still, it can be mitigated by carefully selecting the site and engaging the community, as shown by examples from the Netherlands. Socio-economic factors, such as property prices, tourism, local job opportunities, and community benefit funds, also play a significant role in acceptance. Models that give money back to residents who own a stake in the project make them feel like they own it together and support it.

People care about the environment. They are worried about the quality of water and how this affects the natural world. While a little shading from solar panels can help reduce harmful algal blooms, too much shading may harm aquatic plant growth and affect how much people trust energy production. How people think about technology is also important. People often trust developers more if they think the technology used is mature and safe. People may be opposed to new technologies if they lack sufficient information about them.
It is very important that the rules are clear and that there are effective decision-making structures. If the laws about water rights and environmental impacts are unclear, people in the community might not trust the proposed projects. Also, the way communities respond depends on factors such as the project's size, design, and how people are involved. If residents are involved early on, it can help build their confidence and encourage developers and the community to work together.

The Sustainable Development Goals Connection
Floating solar power (FPV) helps achieve several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These are SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water).
These benefits depend on good governance. We need systems to make sure FPV doesn't harm the natural world, that communities share the benefits fairly, and that decisions are made clearly and with everyone involved.
The POWERE project in Indonesia and the UK is a good example of this. It looks at how unequal access and climate change affect island and coastal communities using FPV. It also examines gender issues and financial challenges in communities that are not connected to the electricity grid.
Here, the most important thing is SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). To make the most of FPV, we need strong governance and rules to ensure it is used fairly and sustainably. If we don't do this, FPV could increase inequalities and cause conflicts, which would limit its ability to support sustainability.

The Governance Gap
The development of floating photovoltaics (FPV) technology is outpacing the creation of the necessary government policies to support it. This raises concerns about whether the technology can grow sustainably due to a lack of supportive government policies. There are some important problems with how water is managed. For example, the rules about who owns water are unclear, making it difficult to determine who has authority over water bodies and which water uses are more important than others. These environmental assessments do not adequately consider the impacts on water ecosystems. The processes for connecting to the grid are unclear, which leads to uncertainty and delays for developers. There is also weak community engagement, which often allows developers to proceed without meaningful consultation.

These problems are especially bad in Southeast Asia, where FPV is being used more and more in places where the rules are unclear, and different organisations have different powers. To get the public on board with FPV projects, we suggest doing several things: getting communities involved early on in the design process so they can have a say, being open and honest in how we make decisions and deal with concerns, offering real local benefits like owning a share and local jobs, setting up systems to share benefits so people know what to expect and how to make complaints, regularly checking the environment and being clear about how water quality and wildlife are doing, and letting communities do science projects to own the project and understand it better.

A Call to Action
Lawmakers, developers, and communities need to work together to establish clear rules for floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems. These frameworks should address water rights, environmental assessments, grid connections, and community engagement. They should also ensure that planning for energy, water, and environmental goals is coordinated.
Developers should work with communities early on, consider local concerns, and ensure they communicate openly, treat people fairly, and invest in monitoring environmental impacts. Local communities should be involved in planning, ensuring that those in charge are doing a good job, and monitoring the impact on the environment.

Conclusion
Floating photovoltaics can do more than provide renewable energy. They address land-use disputes, help conserve water in areas with limited supplies, and support development aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
To make the most of this, the public must accept them. The technology is ready, the economy is improving, and we need to take urgent action on the climate crisis. For this to work, we need effective governance and political will to support communities and protect the environment.
Research shows that the public must be on board for floating solar to succeed. If they don't, these projects risk becoming examples of how renewable energy plans are stopped by community opposition. The choice and responsibility are ours.

This opinion piece draws on the paper "Community Acceptance of Floating Photovoltaic: A Literature Review on Environmental Governance Policy toward Sustainable Development Goals", which synthesises 27 peer-reviewed articles and provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of social acceptance factors in FPV deployment. The paper was presented at the 7th International Conference on Environmental Engineering, organised by Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember Surabaya (ITS), Indonesia, held in Bali on 30-31 July 2026. The paper was awarded the best presentation.
This activity is funded by the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) on behalf of the Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and managed under the EQUITY Program (Contract No. 4304/B3/DT.03.08/2025).

Department of Economics – Universitas Andalas