Floating vertical photovoltaic system with 1.87 MW opened on gravel lake

The photovoltaic company SINN Power has inaugurated what it claims is the world's first floating vertical photovoltaic system. This was announced by the company on Saturday. The system consists of vertically oriented solar modules floating on a gravel lake at the Jais gravel pit in the Bavarian district of Starnberg. The photovoltaic system is intended to have a capacity of 1.87 MW and produce around 2 GWh of electricity per year.

The installed photovoltaic system is a Skipp-Float system, which, unlike conventional systems, is based on vertically mounted PV modules. Four-meter-wide open water corridors separate the rows in which the solar modules are arranged. This is intended to ensure that the light yield is sufficiently high despite the vertical arrangement and that the system supplies electricity throughout the entire day. Additionally, the spacing allows for good air circulation.

2600 floating photovoltaic modules

The 2600 solar modules are anchored at a water depth of approximately 1.6 m in the gravel lake. A cable system connects the modules, which are mounted on floating bodies, in such a way that they cannot collide in wind. This also minimizes mechanical stress, SINN Power writes. Furthermore, stability is guaranteed even with changing water levels. A floating cable system connects the modules to a central feed-in point on the shore.

Per year, the photovoltaic system with a capacity of up to 1.87 MW is expected to deliver around 2 GWh of energy. The main customer is the gravel plant itself, which was able to reduce its grid electricity consumption by 60 percent in the first weeks of test operation. The aim is for the system to permanently reduce the gravel plant's grid electricity consumption by a total of 70 percent.

The Skipp-Float system occupies only 4.65 percent of the water surface, which is below the maximum upper limit of 15 percent defined in the Water Resources Act (WHG) for artificially created lakes such as gravel pits and excavation lakes. Compared to conventional floating PV systems, the power density of the system with its vertical modules is said to be higher in relation to the area. This means more electricity can be produced on a smaller area.

SINN Power emphasizes that the photovoltaic system does not affect the ecosystem. Sunlight can still reach the water surface to a large extent. Oxygen exchange is also ensured. The system would even contribute to promoting the natural mixing of water layers. The floating bodies of the cables are also used by waterfowl as nesting sites, and schools of fish gather near the floating counterweights. The water quality has slightly improved after the installation of the system. This was shown by measuring buoys that had already measured the quality before the installation of the system.

Planned expansion by 1.7 GW

The system is already prepared for an expansion by another approximately 1.7 GW. The water area used will then be less than 10 percent of the total area of the lake, thus remaining below the 15 percent rule.

The Skip-Float system is suitable for artificially created lakes with a minimum depth of 1.6 m that fall under the 15 percent regulation of the WHG. Due to the vertical arrangement, the electricity yield on a smaller area is higher than with conventional systems, so the construction of such a photovoltaic system should also be worthwhile on smaller bodies of water.

(olb)