In Germany, floating PV installations are still relatively rare and limited in scale. While some megawatt-scale projects are in the works, Germany's renewable energy Act limits solar module coverage to 15 percent of the water surface and requires a certain distance from the coast, making many floating solar projects difficult or costly to implement. However, German startup Sinn Power has come up with an innovative plan to build the world's first vertically installed floating PV system, thus solving this dilemma and making some projects feasible.

The project is planned to be built on a gravel pit lake in Girching, Bavaria. Although the plant is still in the planning stage, it has received strong support from the regional agency of gwt Starnberg GmbH, the Starnberg regional Office and the municipality of Gilchen. Anchoring and lake preparation for the Gilsing Gravel Pit is expected to officially start on August 1. This will be followed by the start of construction of a 1.8-megawatt floating solar installation in September. To achieve this project, the company will use its exclusive patented Floating-SKipp installation system of 2,500 units.

Sinn Power claims that the vertical installation of these modules revolutionizes the use of solar power in artificial inland waters and provides a new interpretation of the 15 percent legal requirement. By positioning the solar panels east-west, electricity production can be concentrated during the morning and afternoon hours. The Gilchen gravel plant will use most of the solar electricity generated directly, while the remainder will be fed into the grid.

The project is highly innovative. Its implementation process is relatively simple and does not require land occupation, so it is fully adapted to the needs of power plants. The plant operates during the day, especially between March and December, when the sun is at its sunniest, allowing for maximum solar power generation. Gottfried Jais, director of Kies-und Quetschwerk Jais, said that they are very interested in the topic of energy storage and conversion and look forward to a viable and economical solution in the future.Editor/Zhang Liyuan