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Last edited by Elmidae (talk | contribs) 39 days ago. (Update) |
Offshore solar refers to the installation of solar panels on bodies of water in the ocean, ports, bays, or estuaries. Offshore solar installations take two main forms, floating offshore solar and fixed-bottom offshore solar. Floating solar systems support solar panels on floating platforms moored to the seafloor; fixed-bottom solar systems support the panels on a rigid structure resting on the ocean floor. [1] [2] Offshore solar is an emerging alternative to land-based solar power deployments that provides new options for powering coastal communities and facilities with clean energy, especially in large coastal cities and island communities where land availability is severely constrained. This market has accumulated growing interest from major industry stakeholders, namely the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that offshore solar had 40x more energy potential than offshore wind (85 TW vs. 2TW). [NREL-BOEM study] Offshore solar also has promising levelized cost of energy (LCOE) potential with floating solar estimated at $54/MWh ($50 Euro/MWh). [3]
History
editFloating Solar has been actively deployed since 2007, when it was first installed in Aichi, Japan, in 2007 by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.[11][19] Detailed Floating Solar history can be found on the Floating Solar Wikipedia page. Fixed-bottom solar is at an earlier stage of development with an installation planned in the Bohai Sea in China [4] and other models at the concept phase (i.e. Sperra's Solar Reef).
Benefits
editOffshore solar applications (both floating and fixed-bottom) share a few key benefits:
- Avoidance of Land-Use Conflicts: Offshore or near-shore solar installations can sidestep land-use conflicts, freeing up land for other purposes such as agriculture or development. Offshore solar is a new option for siting near the largest land-load centers such as large cities and ports. [5] [6] [7]
- Cooling Advantage: Solar panels located near bodies of water can experience a cooling effect, which can increase their efficiency and output by 5–30% compared to land-based systems. [Ayyad A, Golroodbari S, van Sark W. Floating Offshore Photovoltaics across Geographies: An Enhanced Model of Water Cooling. Energies. 2024;17(5):1131.] [Hasan, A. & Dincer, I. A new performance assessment methodology of bifacial photovoltaic solar panels for offshore applications. Energy Conversion and Management 220, 112972 (2020).]
- Advantageous Integration with Offshore Wind: Offshore solar can be integrated with existing or planned offshore wind developments to increase energy production, reduce storage needs by 70% and cut the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). When deployed together, offshore solar & offshore wind can also share infrastructure, maintenance deployments and supply chain paths, further reducing costs. [8] [9]
These advantages make offshore or floating solar an appealing option for renewable energy generation, particularly in regions where land availability is limited or where there are concerns about land-use conflicts. However, it's also important to consider the challenges associated with floating and fixed-bottom offshore solar systems.
Challenges of floating offshore solar vs. fixed-bottom offshore solar
editA major distinction between these two types of offshore solar are their current levels of technology readiness. Floating offshore solar has 10+ current deployments across Asia and Europe, whereas fixed-bottom solar is a newly emerging concept. Although floating solar has had a longer history, the potential of fixed-bottom offshore solar can be extrapolated from the overriding success of fixed-bottom offshore wind compared to floating offshore wind – this is the guiding principle for its development.
Fixed-bottom structures are easier to install and lack the complications of mooring lines and anchoring. Floating solar arrays can have up to 24x the number of mooring lines as floating offshore wind (10 lines per MW vs 0.4 lines per MW). The biggest concern with this number is mooring line entanglements where large marine mammals can become tangled up in mooring lines or flotsam caught in the mooring lines, resulting in skin abrasions and sometimes drowning. [10] Floating solar is also vulnerable to damage from storms, hurricanes, and ocean disturbances. [11] [12] A key advantage of fixed-bottom offshore solar is its ability to withstand tropical storms, including hurricanes.
Fixed-bottom solar has additional benefits that can be included in the design of its base structure. Historically, fixed bottom structures have functioned as an artificial reef for local wildlife (e.g. offshore oil rigs) which are sometimes left in place and converted into artificial reefs called Rigs-to-Reefs [13] [14]
While floating solar can be installed in much deeper waters due to its flexible mooring and anchoring systems, fixed-bottom structures face challenges due to their large and heavy design, necessitating the use of heavy-lift installation vessels.
Concepts
editThere are currently about 10 concepts for offshore solar concepts and they are notably all floating concepts in their demonstration stage.
| Company/Institution | Concept Name | Country | Unique Design | Current Installations | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Sun | N/A | Norway | circular, thin, flexible membrane | N/A | [1][2] |
| Oceans of Energy | N/A | Netherlands | modular, robust units | (1) Hollandse Kust Noord 1, (2) North Sea 1, (3) North Sea 2, (4) North Sea 3 | [3][4][5][6] |
| Fred. Olsen 1848 | BRIZO | Norway | pre-tensioned rope mesh | Demonstration in Risør, Norway | [7][8] |
| Moss Maritime | XolarSurf | Norway | pontoons, flexible steel frame with pretensioned fibre ropes | N/A | [9][10] |
| Bluewater | N/A | Netherlands | flexible floating units with flexible solar panels | Lake of Oostvoorne | [11][12] |
| Solar Duck | N/A | Netherlands | Flexibly interconnected semi-sub triangular structures | Merganser | [13][14][15] |
| CIMC Raffles | N/A | China | semi-submersible platform | 400 kWp in Guangdong, China | [16][17] |
| BlueNewables | N/A | Spain | tubular steel frame | N/A | [18][19] |
| SeaVolt | N/A | Belgium | modular steel pontoons | Port of Ostend, Belgium | [20][21][22] |
| Universidad de Oviedo | HelioSea | Spain | dual-axis solar tracker, TLP platform | N/A | [23][24] |
References
edit- ^ “The innovation | Ocean Sun.” Accessed: Sep. 18, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://oceansun.no/the-innovation/
- ^ A. Garanovic, “Ocean Sun teams up with MWP to use floating solar tech for desalination,” Offshore Energy. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.offshore-energy.biz/ocean-sun-teams-up-with-mwp-to-use-floating-solar-tech-for-desalination/
- ^ “Home | Oceans of Energy | Offshore solar: clean and renewable energy,” Oceans of Energy. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://oceansofenergy.blue/
- ^ Z. Maksumic, “Oceans of Energy launches floating solar farm in Belgium,” Offshore Energy. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.offshore-energy.biz/oceans-of-energy-launches-floating-solar-farm-in-belgium/
- ^ J. T. Jacobo, “European consortium to scale up offshore solar technology in North Sea,” PV Tech. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.pv-tech.org/european-consortium-scale-up-offshore-solar-technology-north-sea/
- ^ “DNV, Oceans of Energy partner to de-risk offshore solar technologies,” Offshore. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.offshore-mag.com/renewable-energy/article/14300002/dnv-oceans-of-energy-partner-to-de-risk-offshore-solar-technologies
- ^ “Floating PV technology BRIZO Fred. Olsen 1848.” Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.fredolsen1848.com/floating-solar/brizo/
- ^ Z. Maksumic, “Fred. Olsen 1848’s floating solar pilot makes a splash,” Offshore Energy. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.offshore-energy.biz/fred-olsen-1848s-floating-solar-pilot-makes-a-splash/
- ^ “Moss Maritime |.” Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.mossww.com/
- ^ “DNV helps Moss Maritime to reduce floating solar design risks.” Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.dnv.com/news/dnv-helps-moss-maritime-to-reduce-floating-solar-design-risks/
- ^ “Renewable energy solutions,” Bluewater Energy Services. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.bluewater.com/our-solutions/renewable-energy-solutions/
- ^ A. Habibic, “Bluewater to further develop flexible floating offshore solar concept,” Offshore Energy. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.offshore-energy.biz/bluewater-to-further-develop-flexible-floating-offshore-solar-concept/
- ^ “About • SolarDuck,” SolarDuck. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://solarduck.tech/about/
- ^ Z. Maksumic, “SolarDuck’s floating solar plant Merganser nearing completion,” Offshore Energy. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.offshore-energy.biz/solarducks-floating-solar-plant-merganser-nearing-completion/
- ^ “SolarDuck builds Japan’s first offshore floating solar PV plant.” Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.pv-tech.org/solarduck-tokyu-land-build-japans-first-offshore-floating-pv-project/
- ^ “China’s first semi-submersible offshore photovoltaic power platform delivered by CIMC Raffles - News Release - China International Marine Containers (Group) Co., Ltd.” Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.cimc.com/en/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=17&id=2177
- ^ CIMC, “CIMC RAFFLES delivers China’s first semi-submersible offshore solar power platform.” Accessed: May 08, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cimc-raffles-delivers-chinas-first-semi-submersible-offshore-solar-power-platform-301794188.html
- ^ “Home,” Bluenewables. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://bluenewables.com/
- ^ UserBluenewables, “1MW PV-bos Hits Milestones in Valencia: Design Optimized, Suppliers on Board, Construction Set for 2024,” Bluenewables. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://bluenewables.com/1mw-pv-bos-hits-milestones-in-valencia-design-optimized-suppliers-on-board-construction-set-for-2024/
- ^ “SeaVolt,” SeaVolt. Accessed: May 08, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.seavolt.be/
- ^ “SeaVolt to launch ‘first of a kind’ offshore floating solar demonstrator | RenewEconomy.” Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://reneweconomy.com.au/seavolt-to-launch-first-of-a-kind-offshore-floating-solar-demonstrator/
- ^ “Floating solar energy platform set for trials offshore Belgium,” Offshore. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.offshore-mag.com/renewable-energy/article/14296955/floating-solar-energy-platform-set-for-trials-offshore-belgium
- ^ N. Skopljak, “Spanish researchers unveil ‘promising solution for offshore solar energy’ based on dual-axis tracker and TLP,” Offshore Energy. Accessed: May 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.offshore-energy.biz/spanish-researchers-unveil-promising-solution-for-offshore-solar-energy-based-on-dual-axis-tracker-and-tlp/
- ^ M. López, R. Claus, F. Soto, Z. A. Hernández-Garrastacho, A. Cebada-Relea, and O. Simancas, “Advancing offshore solar energy generation: The HelioSea concept,” Appl. Energy, vol. 359, p. 122710, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.122710.