Qi-energy, a PV mounting systems specialist based in the United Arab Emirates, and Canadian floating structure supplier Candock have announced plans to develop a raft-based system for utility-scale floating PV plants.
Their new venture, Hydrosolis, will supply floating PV systems, offer project financing for 5 MW to 10 MW projects, and facilitate technology transfers for larger overseas projects. They’ve already developed a new floating mounting system based on special “dock cubes” that float nonmetallic frames for the deployment of solar panels.
“The polymers used in this float technology was originally designed for fuel tanks in fast marine craft such as jet bikes making it extremely impact-resistant with a long service life,” Qi-energy CEO Neil Anthony Doe told pv magazine.
Doe defined the proposed approach as “rafted,” which is different from conventional modular approaches in the PV industry.
“This rafted approach allows us to construct modular rafts which are connected to form an island with access all around the modules for O&M,” Doe said. Rafted systems use a skeleton of interconnected dock cubes. Framing systems are then fixed to the rafts, supporting the modules.
“Each raft is designed around module strings and built on a purpose-made dock on the shore,” Doe explained. “The rafts are then towed to the anchor site and connected together to form one large island.”
The proposed system is based on floats with no fixed angles. They do not cover the backs of the modules, to maximize the benefits of cooling.
“Common floats are only designed to carry the weight of the module and use secondary walkways to hold the array together,” Doe said. “A rafted solution has much more flexibility in terms of buoyancy and can be designed to cater for much higher foot traffic associated with regular cleaning in certain regions.”
The cubes are also placed much higher in the water, he said. This ensures that cables, combiners and inverters are out of harm’s way. Candock makes the cubes with a special high-density polyethylene (HDPE) formula to ensure high impact resistance and UV stability throughout the 25-year product warranty period.
Popular content
“For developers and funds this is a huge advantage, as the float system is warranted to last the length of the PPA – a quality lacking in almost all FPV systems on the market,” Doe said.
Source: pv magazine
