New mooring system for offshore, coastal floating PV arrays
The novel mooring solution consists of perimeter pontoons, barriers, clump weights, mooring lines and anchors. Its creators claim it is cheaper in materials and maintenance, as well as more wave-stable, compared to mooring systems using elastic cables.
Offshore floating solar on calm seas could provide unlimited energy
In a new monthly column for pv magazine, the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) describes how regions that don’t experience waves larger than 6 m nor winds stronger than 15 m/s could generate up to one million TWh per year via offshore floating PV arrays. Most of the good sites are close to the equator, in and around Indonesia and tropical West Africa.
SDN unveils 600 W solar modules for floating PV
South Korea’s SDN has developed new bifacial solar modules based on M10 wafers. The new products feature a power conversion efficiency of 21.46% and, according to the manufacturer, are the world’s most efficient floating PV panels.
Offshore floating PV demonstrator to go online on Belgium’s North Sea coast
The SeaVolt consortium says it will launch an offshore floating PV demonstrator off the Belgian port of Ostend. The main companies – Tractebel, DEME, Equans and Jan De Nul – say the anchored floating array will collect data for at least a year to scale up the tech.
Indian state launches tender for 100 MW of floating solar
The Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) is seeking developers to set up 100 MW of floating solar capacity across the Indian state of Punjab.
US researchers assess potential for floating solar in Southeast Asia
The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and its partners have assessed the technical potential for floating PV throughout Southeast Asia.
Comprehensive review of all water-related PV technologies stresses need for careful planning
A new study of existing research on water-based PV (WPV) technologies points to gaps in published reports on the technologies, particularly regarding environmental impacts, in general, and cost analyses for canal top solar, specifically.
Impact of floating photovoltaics on thermal characteristics of lakes
A new study details how floating photovoltaics impact wind flow and irradiance on lakes, with the effect of influencing water temperature at different depths. However, the report’s authors say more research is needed on how to design systems for maximum benefit to the water bodies themselves.
EDF commissions utility-scale floating solar plant in France
EDF’s new 20 MW floating solar project is built close to an EDF hydropower dam near Lazer, in southern France.
Floating solar tech for harsh offshore conditions
An international research team has designed a floating PV system that can reportedly withstand wave heights above 10 meters. The system uses splitters to link one mooring tether to multiple floating modules. This reportedly ensures sufficient structural capacity, while avoiding the need for too many mooring lines.
