Imagine putting giant solar panels on floats in the middle of the ocean. Instead of taking up valuable land, these panels can share space with offshore wind turbines to squeeze way more power out of the same area. It's like adding a second floor to a house to get more room without buying a bigger plot of land.
Onshore space for massive solar projects is limited and often faces public opposition due to visual pollution. Offshore wind farms have available space but could be more efficient in their energy yield per square kilometer.
A 5 MW grid-connected offshore floating solar system and a set of validated components tested for extreme sea conditions.
If you are a wind farm operator dealing with limited sea space and infrastructure costs — this project developed a way to combine solar and wind that can extract up to 9x more energy per km2. This allows you to produce more electricity using the same electrical infrastructure.
If you are a grid operator dealing with unstable energy supply in low-wind regions like the Mediterranean — this project developed stand-alone offshore floating PV systems. This provides a reliable way to increase renewable energy penetration where wind is not viable.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with high failure rates in harsh sea conditions — this project developed validated components tested in extreme conditions via wave-wind tanks. This reduces technical risk and helps lower the cost of floating solar hardware.
The project aims to make offshore floating PV financially viable by achieving a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of less than 148 €/MWh.
The project includes a 5 MW grid-connected, multi-year offshore demonstration located inside a commercial wind farm.
Based on available project data, specific IP or licensing terms are not mentioned, but the project involves 16 partners including 7 industry entities.
It integrates by placing solar panels within wind farms, which can increase energy extraction by up to 9x per km2 and improve full-load hours by 10-20%.
The project runs from December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2027.
The consortium is heavily weighted toward commercial application, with a 44% industry ratio comprising 7 companies (including 5 SMEs). With 16 partners across 8 countries, the project balances academic research (2 universities, 6 research centers) with practical industrial deployment, suggesting a strong path toward market entry.
Contact Stichting Dutch Marine Energy Centre (NL)
Contact us to connect with the Nautical SUNRISE consortium for pilot opportunities.
