Innovative Modular Floating Structure for Harvesting Solar Energy in Harsh Marine Environment

The use of floating structures for harvesting clean solar energy on water bodies has become popular thanks to the technological advancement that has led to more energy- and cost-efficient photovoltaic panels and the availability and environmental benefits of large-scale water bodies. Built on the successful experiences of floating solar farms on inland and coastal waters, research and development activities are now oriented toward floating large-scale solar farms on offshore waters where the space is abundant. At the same time, harsh environmental conditions make it challenging in almost every aspect of the lifecycle, including the design, construction, onsite installation, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. This paper presents the conceptual development of an innovative soft-connected lattice-structured modular floating solar farm for use in open offshore environments. Technical feasibility assessments involving hydrostatic examinations were carried out to ensure that the proposed concept fulfills the design requirements. Based on these, scaled model tests of both a small array comprising six connected standard floats and a large array of 216 floats were conducted. The experimental study showed that the proposed concept can perform well under both operational conditions and survive extreme conditions with wave heights above 10 m.