3 kW_p – Measurement Platform, Baa Atoll, Maldives

Nominal Capacity: 3kW_p
Project Launch Year: 2014
Location: Maldives
Type: Floating/temporary structure
Grid setup: None. Only for measurements.
Battery Storage: None

This is a test platform that was assembled to carry out specific tests with solar panels. It was a temporary structure; therefore it did not feature our patent-pending floating technology, rather a wooden frame was used.

On this platform, a variety of solar panels was exposed to the elements and treated with different maintenance regimes. The performance of the floating solar panels with different maintenance regimes was then compared to the performance of an analogous rooftop system located on the same island.

The resulting data from this project allowed us to select the best solar panels for our floating systems, and we have also found that overall, the panels perform up to 10% better on the water than on the roof, due to the cooling effect of the sea.