Central & South America |
More than the sum of its parts
Manoel Monteiro of Tigo Energy explains how floating solar is supplementing hydroelectric generation in Brazil
BRAZIL HAS LONG BEEN among the nations leading the movement to deploy solar electricity generation capacity, ranking eighth globally in 2023 according to the Global Solar Council. The country achieved this ranking after jumping up five spots between 2021 and 2022, with further growth projected, according to SolarPower Europe, which shows Brazil adding 19.2GW of solar capacity in 2025. More solar capacity, in turn, has shown to also manifest in more creative ways to deploy the technology, and in some cases even leveraging legacy infrastructure with photovoltaic (PV) solar. One such example in Brazil now generates solar electricity on lilly pad-like islands on the water, a true breakthrough in utility scale PV solar. With a planned 18 floating solar islands, the Lajeado
Hydroelectric Power Plant reservoir in the state of Tocantins is set to become the largest floating solar installation of its kind in the country. Sometimes humorously referred to as ‘floatovoltaics,’ the ingenuity of Brazilian firm Apollo Flutuantes is behind combining intelligent solar optimisation, monitoring, and safety technologies from Tigo Energy, to turn a wild and complicated idea into a working model for the future of solar energy wherever suitable standing water sits idly underutilised.
With a completion date set for September 2026, the 69 MWp e 54 MWca (18 islands of 3 MWca each) floating solar project contributes materially to the projected solar capacity growth in Brazil. The Lajeado Floating Photovoltaic Plant project blends advanced PV solar generation technology with the reliability of hydropower to showcase what’s possible when the energy industry innovates.
The project: utility-scale solar without
the dirt The Lajeado Floating Photovoltaic Plant, currently in the installation phase, is situated on the lake formed by the Lajeado Hydroelectric Power Plant reservoir in Tocantins, Brazil. Spearheaded by engineering firm Apollo Flutuantes, and supported by German electrical infrastructure provider AE Power, the project will feature 18 floating solar islands outfitted with 5,400 bifacial photovoltaic modules each. For in-depth, module-level monitoring and to ensure efficient operations and maintenance (O&M) during operation, the project incorporates 97,200 Tigo TS4- X-O Module-Level Power Electronics (MLPE) devices. These devices enable module-level performance optimisation, real-time monitoring, and rapid shutdown for safe operations of electrical infrastructure out on the water. These optimisers are paired with [module power rating] bifacial solar modules featuring heterojunction technology (HJT) from AE Solar. Together, these products are being deployed on custom-designed, floating platforms to maximise energy capture on both sides of the modules. With its inherently modular and scalable island- based design, each solar island is connected to a shielded E-house, designed by Apollo Flutuantes, which converts solar generated Direct Current energy to usable grid power and sends it to a 54 MWac, onshore collection substation. From there, medium voltage is converted to the 138kV transmission voltage required for delivery into the Brazilian energy grid. Beyond the technical specifications and projected generating capacity of the Lajeado Floating Photovoltaic Plant, the project is a shining example of how floating solar can complement existing hydroelectric reservoirs as well as the existing power conditioning, conversion, and transmission infrastructure. By installing a PV solar system on a body of water, the project also avoids many of the common land-use conflicts such large sites can generate, highlighting how water-based solar can contribute to reaching ambitious clean energy goals without new land development.
Overcoming physical and perception
challenges Utility-scale solar projects are complex, but one that also floats on water presents formidable new challenges to solve. Unlike land-based systems, water introduces myriad additional hazards such as system access for maintenance, unusual fire mitigation requirements, and the obvious physical and electrical dynamics between electricity and a very efficient conductor. This is where Tigo optimisers come in
12 | August 2025 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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