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Sunlit Sea, in collaboration with Endra and Ev Powercharge, has been granted support from Enova for the testing of a floating solar installation of 105 kWp, along with a battery bank and fast electric vehicle charger at Haugaland Næringspark in Gismarvik, Norway.

Throughout the project, Sunlit Sea's floating solar panels will be tested under winter conditions. The consequences for degradation, lifespan, power generation, and maintenance costs will be analyzed, providing valuable data for further research.

The project has the potential to pave the way for a larger deployment of floating solar power at Haugaland Næringspark, and at other locations where the bankability in winter conditions is a crucial factor.

Gain further insight into the work of our partners at Metsolar EU - Custom Solar Solutions, and how their solar panels are made. The company's methodology enables them to customize modules that fit our uniquely designed floats. The solar panel is a frameless 1655mm x 1700mm structure, consisting of 10x10 monocrystalline full cells, with fully tempered glass. This is a high-quality product that goes through quality assurance that ensures it complies with European standards.

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RIXEN Cableway reveals benefits offered by floating solar in modern wakeboard parks.

RIXEN Cableway is one of the world's leading providers of wakeboarding cableway systems and is well known for its visionary mindset. They are now rethinking the way the industry approaches its energy needs. RIXEN is touring Europe, showcasing Sunlit Sea’s floating photovoltaic system to wake park owners.

The benefits and synergies of implementing floating solar in wake parks are numerous. Floating PV may utilize surplus water zones in the center of the parks, adding additional energy production, and may also work as a wave-breaker, increasing overall ride quality.

RIXEN recently completed 22 customer visits across France, totaling 39 facilities. Their tour ended up being a massive success and lead to multiple systems ordered. This is undeniably a clever way to exploit the range of possibilities offered by floating PV.

Our mission is to produce the most compelling and robust floating solar solutions for inland and near-shore applications. To do so, we constantly strive to optimize the design and production process.

Alongside our partners at Whiston Industries, we are implementing measures to improve the production speed and efficiency of our aluminum forming. Adaptive machining, pneumatics and logical controllers enable us to edit the product design of the press tool on site.

The introduction of programmable logic controllers are central to optimizing the production line. PLCs are widely applied in industrial automation, originating from the automotive industry. These systems are rugged and highly reliable, made to deliver in harsh environments, much like our floats. They help run the manufacturing process by automating tasks that may require high precision, reproducibility, speed, or that simply are dangerous for a person to perform.

The circular shapes seen in the picture, the "dimples", give our floats excellent thermal conductivity and structural integrity. To shape them the aluminum plate is run through a multi-stage die, which involves quite a bit of manual labor in terms of adjustment and procedure. Our new press tool improvements speeds up this part of the process significantly.

So what are the effects of the changes made to production? 1) Increased evenness of the float edge, further easing later production steps; 2) A speedup of roughly 130%; and 3) A reduced scrap rate of 80%. It can really pay off to be on the lookout for process improvements!

Water poses some unique challenges to floating solar. Sealants are central when preventing saline water from entering the inner parts between the panel and the float itself. As part of our product development, butyl rubber (IIR) is applied to the plateau of the float, protecting the bottom part of the laminated solar panel.

By applying a glass/laminate cell module structure, the butyl offers a larger degree of waterproofing, as compared to glass/glass cell module designs. Butyl furthermore enables a frameless construction which is easy to maintain and wash, with no mechanical fastening, leading to beneficial conductive traits between the float and the panel itself.

In addition to a protective silicon barrier, different techniques have been tested, including manually laying down the substance with a butyl gun, as well as utilizing prefabricated butyl ribbons. Water intrusion may harm the solar cells, cause corrosion or even jeopardize overall electricity production. Therefore, all of the electronics are safely stored in a pit filled with a potting material, isolating them from rough surroundings.

Double bonds in the molecular structure of the butyl rubber give it a substantial packing density - making it more difficult for other molecules to pass through. Partly due to its beneficial oxidation and ozone resistance properties, various types of butyl are utilized in industrial applications like tire production, pharmaceutical stoppers (sealing vials and bottles), window strips, chemical gloves, to name a few.

Attending the NTNU Energy Transition Podcast #24 Floating Solar with Per Lindberg, CEO of Sunlit Sea.

"I believe that prefabrication is a match made in heaven, for floating solar in particular" Per Lindberg, CEO of Sunlit Sea.

Electrifying talk with Julius Wesche from the NTNU Energy Transition Initiative earlier this year, in case you missed it. So why do we need floating solar? Why is panel cooling important? Where will we see floating solar in the future? Have a listen to find out.

Listen to the Podcast here

To better withstand marine conditions our aluminum goes through a highly controlled oxidation known as anodizing. This electrochemical process offers unrivaled benefits, perfect when working with aluminum. The metal is constantly exposed to chemical interactions while in the water, which leads to deterioration over time.

The metal is dipped in a chemical bath to build the protective layering. When anodized by Hydal Aluminium Profiler AS in Raufoss, our floats obtain an enticing finish and corrosion,- and wear-resistant properties that may prolong their expected life.

Corrosion reactions can jeopardize the metal and be detrimental to structural integrity. The electrochemical process converts the metal surface into an acidic oxide finish - consisting entirely of oxide aluminum, which, unlike regular paint, won't peal.

The appealing dark grey gives the panels a subtle visual profile, which leads to less visibility in the water, ideal for city integrated projects.

Last week we successfully launched Prototype 12 at Tofte Næringspark, a green industrial cluster organized by Statkraft Tofte AS. The cluster strives to enable climate-friendly growth and value creation locally.

Our module has been electrically commissioned, is equipped with transducer antifouling technology, and will be measuring continuous power production and onsite solar radiation.

It consists of six floats, where of which four have solar panels with a total of 537 Wp per unit. The aluminum is anodized and sealed using clinching.

We at Sunlit Sea have just been published on The Explorer - Norway's official marketplace for #greentech and sustainable solutions.

We're proud to be included among Norway's best and brightest green technologies! Together, we can help to reduce emissions and make the world a little greener.

Read about our solution here

Last month Sunlit Sea and RIXEN Cableway held talks at the Intersolar Europe Messe in Munich. RIXEN is a state-of-the-art global technology provider, constantly on the lookout to further innovate and develop the world of wakeboarding. Their mission at the event was simple; to find a way to build the water sports facilities of the future.

Wakeboarding parks frequently make use of the outer edges of the lakes, leaving an unexploited area of opportunity in the center. Applying a floating solar installation from Sunlit Sea in this section enables valuable, additional power production to help run the park.

The floats also function as wave breakers which is ideal for the overall ride quality. Furthermore, our design is ideal due to its low profile in the water, not compromising visibility for riders or spectators. Still keeping the sport in the center.

The combination of cableways and floating solar highlights the array of opportunities floating solar gives, and reminds us that we have merely seen the beginning of creative ways to incorporate it. RIXEN Cableway has hundreds of parks in more than 50 countries, with a potential of up to 30 MWp - making it a strong and exciting case for Sunlit Sea.

A letter of intent has been signed, and the first floats have been shipped and are ready for testing!

As part of our research and development, we have partnered with BTM Scandinavia AB, to evaluate the benefits of metal joining the outer edges of our floats through clinching. The press-joining technique seals our two sheets of aluminum using cold-forming, with no fasteners/weld rod needed.

Each float has 100 clinch joints with V-Loc®5,5, which gives the finished floats their vibration resistance and leak-proof features. Clinching solutions generate zero waste, involve no fasteners, fumes, or welds, and eliminate high temperatures on the production line.

Using an automatic punch and dye, the metal is joined by forming the metal into an interlocking joint. The process takes less than a second per point, is highly repeatable, and is possibly the most cost-efficient method to join sheet metal. No pre,- or post-treatment required.

The SUREWAVE project, with Sunlit Sea, SINTEF et al, won the grant of EU funds through the call "Sustainable, secure, and competitive energy supply".

Thank you Ursula von der Leyen for putting novel renewable energy technology on the EU roadmap. Floating solar will be an important energy source all over the world in the coming years.

SUREWAVE will look at the use of wave-breaking technology to support floating solar structures, with the goal of expanding possible locations and decreasing the wave-induced string mismatch losses.

Looking forward to getting started!

This year was Sunlit Seas' first to participate in the Intersolar Europe.

Great to meet the industry and to take part at the Norwegian pavilion arranged by Innovasjon Norge and Solenergiklyngen/The Norwegian Solar Energy Cluster.

During Intersolar 2022 in Munich, Sunlit Sea and SolarCleano demonstrated floating photovoltaic operation and maintenance. The exercise highlighted how the sea of possibility opens when clever engineering and characteristic design create synergies.

SolarCleano M1 works exceptionally well on flat surfaces like ours, traverse effortlessly between floats, and offers high cleaning capacity and safe operations even in harsh marine conditions. The robot is battery-powered, has an integrated camera system, and is steered through operator input. M1 is NO microcracks certified and has a capacity of 800m²/h.

Since it's possible to walk on Sunlit Sea floats, there is always the option to clean manually using i.e a brush or squeegee. The size and amount of soiling will determine what is optimal for your installation.

Get in touch if you want to learn more!

Yesterday we had the pleasure of launching our floating solar pilot at Honnørbrygga in Oslo. Lone Jessen of #IDS introduced the project together with Vice Mayor Victoria Marie Evensen of Oslo city council, emphasizing how Norway has all the prerequisites in taking a leading role in the growing solar market.

Port of Oslo, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University and Statkraft all saluted the sharing of data from the installation to further learning and knowledge sharing within the field of floating solar.

Many prominent guests had shown up: politicians, industrial leaders, investors, ambassadors, partners, competitors and of course Solenergiklyngen/The Norwegian Solar Energy Cluster. A big thank you to all who participated and for your positivism towards this project!

Sunlit Sea is currently ramping up the production speed and quality of our floating solar solution. We are doing this by transitioning from manual to automatic production.

Right now our semi-automated production-line assembly process is well underway at Hasle. It is delivered by Andron Handling and will help increase production rate, safe operation, and overall quality assurance. During the first step, the 2 x 10m ceiling-mounted rail system is installed, which runs parallel with the panel conveyor belt.

Our bespoke panel rotating gripper is integrated on a carriage attached to the roof rails. The lifter devices' linear and rotary motion is powered by a pneumatic cylinder, operating using compressed air. Through operator input, vacuum cups attach to the panels and help lift them from one station to another.

Building a fully automated assembly line is one of the main objectives here at Sunlit Sea. Making sure that the semi-automated production line would be compatible with future robotization and automation was therefore essential.

Andron Handling was selected for its relevant industry references, professionalism, and understanding of our needs and requirements.

What started as sketches on a whiteboard have become a beautiful piece of engineering.

We have now finished installing the first part of the assembly line, consisting of a PV panel manipulator. The rest of the line is scheduled for installation at the beginning of May 2022.

Guillaume Kegelart, Chief of Industrialization.