Key points:
- Floating solar opens tremendous opportunities to provide the world with renewable energy.
- Ocean Sun introduces floating solar solution for man-made reservoirs and coastal waters.
- The solution from Ocean Sun is the first floating solar design of its kind to receive a Statement of Conformity from DNV, verifying its accordance with global safety standard.
About the customer
The Norwegian based company is the owner of an IPR portfolio including several patents and patent applications. Their core innovation is a floating solar system based on rigid PV modules mounted on a hydro elastic membrane. Systems can be built at a low capex and the best PV performance in the industry. Ocean Sun has an alliance with GCL System Integration on manufacturing of dual-glass modules for the floating membrane. www.oceansun.no
The customer challenge
Ocean sun wanted to document and prove to the world that their floating solar structure and solution is sustainable, robust and safe and needed a verification that is acknowledged by authorities around the world.
DNV’s solution
Ocean Sun turned to DNV to verify all aspects of their floating solar solution. DNV started the process by getting some of the world's foremost experts on floating structures and hydrodynamics to go through the Ocean Sun solution and verify that the design methodology complies with the relevant standards and recommended practices, such as the NS9415 standard for Norwegian aquaculture. Going forward, DNV will also lead the technology qualification of the complete Ocean Sun floating solar solution where all aspects of the solution are being reviewed such as its energy production and electrical system.
Benefit to the customer
Floating solar power is still in its infancy. The field see many new patents and different design solutions aiming to solve the challenge. Relatively few large FPV systems have been deployed and some have already experienced major damage in strong wind. The introduction of Ocean Sun floating membranes with horizontally mounted modules represents a completely new design approach. Hence, the Statement of Conformance by DNV represent vital documentation for developers, financiers, insurance institutions and other stakeholders in reducing the inherent risk of introducing new technology.