floating photovoltaics

Germany-based Sinn Power plans to build a 1.8 MW floating PV system with vertically deployed solar modules. Construction is expected to start this summer.

Researchers in China have compared the performance of catenary and taut mooring systems for offshore floating PV systems. They found that the taut system offers a higher degree of reliability in shallow water environments with severe tidal variations.

Developed by scientists in Spain, the HelioSea system is reportedly able to ensure structural reliability in challenging marine environments. The research group proposed to use tension leg platforms that have been successfully applied to offshore drilling platforms, where stability is also paramount.

The government of Sao Paulo, Brazil, says that a new 7 MW floating solar project on a reservoir in the megalopolis is the first phase of a 75 MW facility that will be completed in 2025.

Researchers from China looked at 875 reservoirs in the country and found that the potential annual power output for floating PV technology could reach up to 1,423.8 TWh.

Norwegian floating solar specialist Ocean Sun has deployed a 270 kW system based on its novel membrane technology at the saltwater port of Tazacorte on La Palma, one of Spain’s Canary Islands.

Researchers in Turkey have studied the impacts of topography-induced shading on floating PV at the Ayvalı hydroelectric power plant and have identified differences between the regions with the highest and lowest electricity production potential.

German renewable energy developer BayWa re has collected scientific data on aquatic fauna, water quality, and avifauna from several environmental impact monitoring studies on eight of its operational floating PV facilities in Europe. It has found the artificial habitats under the panels offer protection to some animal species and improvements to water quality.

Australia’s United Solar Group has secured a power purchase agreement (PPA) for 700 MW of floating solar and a 1.5 GWh battery project in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka.

An international research team has built a cooling tech consisting of heat absorber pipes that are thermally connected to the PV module, heat releaser pipes that exchange heat with the water body, a series of connecting pipes, and a coolant reservoir. The system claims to create a continuous fluid flow that dissipates heat from the PV cells to the surroundings.