The Netherlands just opened Europe's largest floating solar installation on the Andijk reservoir in North Holland — 14 kilometers of solar panels generating clean electricity for 300,000 homes while improving water quality in the reservoir beneath through shade-driven algae suppression.
The Andijk Floating Solar Park deploys 650,000 bifacial panels on floating platforms covering 240 hectares of the PWN drinking water reservoir. Solar panel shade reduces blue-green algae blooms that required expensive chemical treatment for decades — algae require sunlight to bloom, and partial shading reduced growth by 68 percent in monitored sections, cutting water treatment chemical costs by 4.2 million euros annually. Panel cooling from proximity to water improves electricity generation efficiency by 14 percent versus comparable land-based installations.
The installation generates 390 megawatts, covering North Holland's residential electricity needs during summer peak. Water quality improvement as a byproduct of solar generation represents an entirely new model for combining clean energy with public health outcomes at no additional cost.
Source: PWN Noord-Holland Water Company, Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO, North Holland Province, 2025
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