Solar on stilts project: Philippines is building 422 MW of solar farms above fish ponds

Vietnam's VinEnergo and Philippine developer SunAsia Energy have agreed to build 422 megawatts peak of solar power spread across three sites in the Philippines, using a design that lifts the panels on steel piles above active fish ponds rather than floating them directly on the water. The approach is intended to let fish farming continue underneath the panels without interruption, addressing a conflict over water use and fishing rights that has slowed similar floating solar projects elsewhere in Southeast Asia. VinEnergo is the energy arm of Vietnam's Vingroup, and the deal marks the company's first project in the Philippines.How solar on stilts differs from floating solarConventional floating solar setups typically bolt panels onto plastic pontoons that rest directly on the water's surface, shading the water beneath and raising concerns about its effect on aquatic life. According to thejoint announcement from VinEnergo and SunAsia Energy, the system used in this project, described as Solar on Stilts, instead drives steel piles into the pond bed and mounts the panels on top, keeping the water column beneath largely open so boats can pass through and fish farming can continue undist...