Non-renewable fossils are the main source of energy in modern conditions. This method of production and consumption of energy acts as one of the main anthropogenic factors that negatively impact the environment. Besides, limited energy reserves do not guarantee the sustainable development of world energy in the long term. The way out of this situation is using renewable energy sources (RES). Renewable energy sources are one of the promising and innovative areas of energy development. These energy sources allow moving to a new high-quality level of power supply and heat supply of the country and significantly improving the ecological state of settlements. The Russian Federation has all conditions for the implementation of such innovative projects aimed at using renewable energy sources. One of such promising projects is solar energy. The perspective of using solar energy is an almost inexhaustible resource, available everywhere, and also has another advantage high environmental safety. Besides, solar energy is characterized by low indicators in terms of capital and operating costs, a lower cost of electricity compared to traditional energy as well. In this study, the perspectives for the development of solar energy in the Russian Federation are identified. The existing solar capacities in Russia are analyzed, the main developments of solar energy in the country are determined. A model for assessing the economic efficiency of floating power plants is proposed in this paper. These plants make it possible to provide electricity to entire settlements. Having been the study, conclusions are drawn about the prospects of using such power plants as sources of cheap energy and environmental compatibility.