LONDON, Ontario – Researchers at Western University in Canada have successfully demonstrated that a foam-backed floating photovoltaic (FPV) system equipped with an air-bubbler can operate efficiently through freezing Canadian winters, keeping ice at bay with minimal energy consumption.
The experimental system, which operated on a 1,475 m² artificial pond in London, Ontario, from August 2024 through June 2025, provides the first empirical evidence that foam-based FPV can function reliably in icy climates. It represents a technological breakthrough that could unlock floating solar deployment across cold-climate regions worldwide.
"We found notable differences between measured module temperatures and standard PV temperature models during winter, highlighting unique thermal dynamics of flat, foam-backed FPV systems," said Joshua M. Pearce, corresponding author of the study and director of Western's Free Appropriate Sustainability Technology (FAST) research group.
To address the ice formation problem that has historically constrained cold-climate FPV deployment, the team developed and validated a transferable ice-melting model using an air-bubbler system.
"We developed and validated a transferable ice-melting model using an air-bubbler system, maintaining ice-free conditions with negligible energy consumption," Pearce told pv magazine.
The deployed air-bubbler system successfully maintained ice-free open water throughout the entire winter season, consuming between 0.02% (1.9 kWh) and 14.5% (893 kWh) of the system's total annual energy yield.
The 7 kW system consisted of 40 semi-flexible monocrystalline PV modules organized into four independent arrays of 1.75 kW each. Unlike conventional floating solar systems that rely on plastic pontoons, the Western University modules were directly bonded to polyethylene foam slabs, allowing them to float approximately 1 cm above the water surface.
Through a regression model analyzing measured operational data, the research team determined that the foam-backed FPV system generated 7.7 MWh per year-representing up to 2.7% more annual energy than other PV models.
"We found a pretty nice energy yield advantage, too," Pearce said. "Foam-based FPV generated more energy annually compared to other PV models, emphasizing the importance of accurate temperature modeling for cold-climate systems."
In addition to energy production, the FPV array demonstrated significant water conservation potential. The system's evaporation reduction scaled linearly with surface coverage, reaching a maximum water savings of 927 cubic meters per year if 50% of the pond surface is covered.
"The study also demonstrated FPV-based evaporation reduction for water conservation. But best of all is that the foam-based FPV was economic while solving the issue of FPV in cold climates," Pearce added.
From an economic perspective, the foam-based FPV system achieved a positive net present value of approximately 57,000 Canadian dollars under a high electricity price scenario ($0.55 CAD per kWh) for off-grid applications, yielding a discounted payback period of 4.2 years.
These results establish foam-backed floating solar as not only a viable technology for cold-climate operations but also an economically attractive investment.
The research was led by Koami Soulemane Hayibo, a PhD candidate in Western's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, under the supervision of Professor Pearce, whose FAST research group specializes in solar photovoltaic technology, open hardware, and sustainable energy systems.
The system was further coupled with a 10 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery storage system and an anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer as the primary load, demonstrating the potential for foam-based FPV to extend beyond electricity generation into renewable hydrogen production..
Pearce emphasized that the study's findings are widely applicable beyond the specific experimental setup.
"To work in Canada, we developed and validated a transferable ice-melting model using an air-bubbler system," he said. The new methodological approach enables FPV operations of any kind in cold climates where ice formation has historically constrained deployment.
The research provides a solid foundation for future studies at larger scales and across diverse water bodies, positioning floating solar as a critical technology for sustainable energy expansion in both warm and cold regions worldwide.
