Life Cycle Assessment of Co-Located Floating Solar and Offshore Wind

Authors

Danela Sadikaj, Montclair State UniversityFollow
Meghann Smith, Montclair State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

5-14-2025

Journal / Book Title

6th Annual Clean and Sustainable Energy Summit, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ

Abstract

Is combining floating solar and offshore wind platforms feasible for increasing energy capacity while displacing the environmental impacts that each of these systems has independently? In recent years offshore wind has become a very popular option to decarbonize the energy sector without overtaking valuable land. While floating solar is not a new technology, using solar in a marine environment is still in an experimental phase. This research proposes a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model of co-located solar technology within the proposed offshore wind farms near New Jersey’s coastline. While both technologies themselves are zero-emission while operating, they each require a lot of energy and materials to be produced, during the process of which carbon emissions are released. New Jersey has many offshore wind projects developing since it has a long coastline along with the government’s aim to produce 11 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2040. Co-located floating solar and offshore wind platforms can be an effective way of limiting environmental impacts associated with construction, displacing carbon-intensive fossil fuels, and meeting renewable energy goals.

Comments

Poster presented at the 6th Annual Clean and Sustainable Energy Summit, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ.

MSU Digital Commons Citation

Sadikaj, Danela and Smith, Meghann, "Life Cycle Assessment of Co-Located Floating Solar and Offshore Wind" (2025). Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 681.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/earth-environ-studies-facpubs/681

Published Citation

Sadikaj, D. & Smith, M. (2025, May 14) Life Cycle Assessment of Co-Located Floating Solar and Offshore Wind [Poster presentation]. Clean and Sustainable Energy Summit, Clean Energy and Sustainability Analytics Center, Montclair, NJ, USA.