The solar panel island developed by a Portuguese company is modular, easily detachable, and can be assembled into large-scale floating solar farms.
The Portuguese company SolarisFloat has developed an innovative floating photovoltaic system capable of rotating to follow the sun, as reported by Interesting Engineering on November 21. This floating island operates with electric motors that consume less than 0.5% of the total energy generated. It is the first system to combine floating solar panels with solar tracking technology.
Floating solar panel island Protevs. (Photo: SolarisFloat)
The island is named Protevs and is currently located in Oostvoorne Meer, southwestern Netherlands. Composed of 180 mobile solar panels, the installation has a total capacity of 73 kWp (peak power) and can increase electricity production by up to 40% thanks to sophisticated technology that allows the bifacial solar panels to rotate in accordance with the sun’s movement.
SolarisFloat offers two types of systems:
- The first type is Protevs+, which has 180 modules with dual-axis tracking, similar to the one at Oostvoorne Meer. The island has a diameter of 38 meters with an area of 1,444 m2. The panels move vertically.
- The second type is Protevs Single360, which operates on a single axis and has 360 modules. This type has an installed capacity of 147 kWp with 410 W panels.
SolarisFloat’s systems are modular, detachable, and expandable with a simple installation process. The islands can be merged to create a larger floating solar power farm.
Protevs offers numerous environmental benefits while in operation. The shade created by the floating structure helps reduce surface temperatures, benefiting the underwater ecosystem. SolarisFloat states that the system reduces water evaporation by 60%. Additionally, water quality is likely to improve due to reduced algae and the proliferation of other microorganisms, thanks to the aforementioned shading effect. This can be further enhanced by installing oxygenation equipment for the water.
