After a construction period of just over a year, Sinn Power GmbH today inaugurated its first vertical floating photovoltaic system. Unlike conventional floating PV constructions, the system is based on vertically mounted modules that are installed in an east-west orientation and separated from each other by open water corridors at least four metres wide.
The system at the Jais gravel plant in the district of Starnberg, Germany, has a capacity of 1.87 MW, covers only 4.65 per cent of the lake’s surface area and thus remains well below the upper limit of 15 per cent specified in the Water Resources Act. The electrical connection is made via a floating cable system with a central feed point on the shore. The expected annual yield is two gigawatt hours. The operator of the gravel plant expects this to reduce the plant’s grid power requirements by up to 70 per cent.
The »SKipp technology« developed by Sinn Power is characterised by its »extreme storm and wave resistance«. A keel-like substructure with a depth of up to 1.60 metres fixes the modules in a vertical position to a rope system and allows controlled movements in wind pressure. This minimises mechanical stress and ensures stability at changing water levels.
In its first weeks of operation, the plant responded as intended to wind loads and changes in water level. Furthermore, it does not affect flora, fauna or the aquatic habitat, as it causes virtually no coverage of the water surface. The design allows oxygen exchange and sunlight at the water surface and additionally promotes the natural circulation of the water layers. Initial observations show that the system is creating new habitats: breeding water birds have been spotted on the floating bodies of the rope system, and schools of fish are gathering in the area of the keel-like counterweights.
The inauguration took place in the presence of many companions and numerous political and economic figures, including Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder.
A second expansion stage with an additional 1.7 MW was already taken into account in the planning stage, which will ensure a total sealing of less than ten percent even after implementation. Sinn Power’s goal is to use this innovative floating PV technology in the maritime sector in the future.
© PHOTON
