Unlocking the Potential of Hydropower by Integrating Floating PV Systems
Osama SAADEH, Kafa SULEIMAN, Zakariya DALALA
Abstract. Increasing the share of renewable energy is essential for sustainable development and climate change mitigation. Hydropower is widely recognized as a reliable and dispatchable renewable energy source, but its further expansion is constrained by water scarcity and the lack of suitable locations. The integration of Floating Photovoltaic (FPV) systems with Pumped Storage Power Systems (PSPS) is studied in this research to validate creating a controllable renewable energy solution based on existing water reservoirs. The proposed FPV–PSPS configuration enables microgrid operation while reducing the impact of solar intermittency. The feasibility of this integration and the optimal system sizing were assessed using the iHOGA optimization software. The simulations and studies took into consideration realistic constraints which included reservoir volume, available water storage and electrical load demand. The results show that an FPV–PSPS microgrid with annual energy of approximately 1.8 GWh is a suitable configuration for Jordan at the King Talal Dam, which offers the best scenario due to its storage capacity and surrounding geography. The estimated payback period is about 8 years, indicating that the solution is not only technically viable but also financially attractive.
Keywords
Floating Photovoltaic (FPV), Pumped Storage Power System (PSPS), Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems, Dispatchable Renewable Energy, Water–Energy Nexus
Published online 4/25/2026, 7 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Osama SAADEH, Kafa SULEIMAN, Zakariya DALALA, Unlocking the Potential of Hydropower by Integrating Floating PV Systems, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 64, pp 68-74, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904091-9
The article was published as article 9 of the book Energy Futures
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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