Quant Solar Technologies is a clean-tech startup incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati’s (IIT-G) Technology Incubation Centre (TIC)

The startup has seemingly found a more sustainable way of harnessing the power of solar energy – floating solar technology.

Installed on water bodies such as dams and reservoirs, this piece of technology can restrict evaporation loss up to 70%—a feature particularly important in water-scarce regions.

These floating solar plants are gaining prominence as the third pillar of solar installations, complementing the well-established domains of rooftop solar and ground-mounted solar plants.

Established in 2016, the motive behind Quant Solar Technologies is to pioneer innovative and sustainable engineering solutions in the field of renewable energy.

“Our startup isn’t just about clean energy but also about conserving water by containing evaporation; saving precious land for better utility, improving power generation due to the cooling effects of water and many more,” says Pankaj Kumar, co-founder and director.

Floating solar plants have unique advantages, says Siddhant Agarwal, co-founder and director. “They save land, conserve water, and offer increased energy generation of power due to the cooling effect of water underneath the photovoltaic module, among other benefits,” he claims.

“Unlike rooftop or ground-mounted solar they are installed on water bodies, reducing evaporation loss by up to 70%. This technology efficiently contributes to national solar goals while leaving zero footprint at the end of the project lifecycle,” he adds.

Floating solar plants can conserve water by acting as a protective cover over the water surface, according to Pankaj.

“This unique design serves as a shield, reducing the direct exposure of sunlight to the water below. The significance of this lies in its ability to limit the absorption of heat by the water, effectively curbing the rate of evaporation,” he explains.

The company has worked with multiple public sector enterprises, state government bodies and private companies.

It delivered India’s first megawatt scale floating solar plant of 2 MW capacity installed in Mudasarlova reservoir, Visakhapatnam and one of the world’s largest Floating Solar Plant of 36 MW for NTPC.

Quant Solar Technologies has commissioned 15 individual floating solar projects across states like Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra and union territories like Chandigarh.

The startup claims to focus on in-house design, engineering, and research and development capabilities for key components like the floating platform, solar panels, anchoring systems and the electrical system.

The start-up has joined a consortium led by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), a globally leading quality assurance and risk management company, in the Netherlands.

According to Siddhant, this cements Quant Solar’s position as a key player in shaping global standards for floating solar plants.

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