In a world looking to rapidly expand solar arrays, this gives floating solar a significant edge, especially for countries facing land scarcity. Conventional solar farms are often criticised for the amount of land they occupy – land which could otherwise be used to grow crops to feed the world"s growing population, or carbon-absorbing trees. Solar energy requires a huge amount of space, at least 40-50 times more than coal plants and 90-100 times more than gas, according to research by Leiden University in The Netherlands.