On the rippling waters of Malaysia, rows of deep blue photovoltaic panels undulate with the waves. Every morning, local fisherman Abdullah would sail his boat to this unique "offshore power station" to receive free ice cubes for refrigeration of the day's catch. Previously, due to the lack of ice cubes, many fish spoiled before being transported to the market. These ice cubes increased our income by 30%! "He said with a smile. This seemingly ordinary photovoltaic power station is the core part of Malaysia's first offshore integrated energy demonstration project, and the stable operation is supported by Trina Solar's Supreme N-type 700W+modules and innovative marine protection technology.

Cross border Practice of Offshore Power Plants

As a key project in Malaysia's energy transition roadmap, this floating photovoltaic power station combines solar, wind, and tidal power generation with aquaculture and fishing operations for the first time, achieving multifunctional development of marine space. The total power of the power station is over 700W, and the annual power generation can meet the needs of more than 100 households. However, the electricity is not directly input into the grid, but directly reaches the pain point of people's livelihood through the "turning electricity into ice" mode - producing about 1 ton of ice per day and supplying it to nearby fishermen for free. The project designer stated that the offshore environment has extremely high requirements for equipment corrosion resistance, UV resistance, and electrical safety. Tianhe Solar has collaborated with partners to develop dual coated glass and innovative co extruded POE materials. Compared to traditional single coating processes, the durability of components in high temperature, high humidity, and high salt spray environments has been improved by 30%. The junction box has an IP68 protection level and dedicated waterproof cables effectively eliminate safety hazards in humid environments from the source.

How can 700W+components withstand the test of the ocean

The sea is mostly cloudy and foggy, with large fluctuations in lighting, but the weak light response advantage of TOPCon technology makes power generation stability far beyond expectations. ”The technical director of Trina Solar introduced that the Supreme N-type 700W+module not only has high power, but its double-sided power generation characteristics can also use reflected light from the water surface to improve overall efficiency. In addition, in response to the frequent typhoon weather in Southeast Asia, the floating system adopts a flexible anchoring design that can disperse stress with wave fluctuations, ensuring that the photovoltaic array position does not shift or capsize under extreme weather conditions. This technological breakthrough provides a sample for promoting offshore photovoltaics in tropical coastal areas. At present, the project has been running steadily for six months, with a power generation 5% higher than expected. The ice making equipment continues to operate at full capacity, and the fishermen's catch loss rate has decreased from 40% to less than 10%.

The Social Value Extension from "Blue Energy" to "Blue Economy"

We not only need to generate electricity, but also solve practical problems with energy, "said the project community coordinator. Previously, local fishermen could only sell their catch at a low price to nearby vendors due to a lack of refrigeration conditions. Nowadays, with free ice cubes, fishermen can transport their products to farther markets, and some households' monthly income has increased by over 500 ringgit (approximately 770 yuan). This "photovoltaic+ice making+livelihood" model has been included in the coastal community poverty alleviation plan by the Malaysian government and will be promoted in Sabah, Penang and other places in the future. Keywords: Southeast Asian Engineering Information Network, International Engineering

The President of Trina Solar Asia Pacific stated that this project is a model of combining Chinese photovoltaic technology with local demand in Southeast Asia. In the future, the company will launch differentiated solutions for different scenarios and deepen the application of clean energy in fields such as agricultural irrigation and island water supply. With the deepening of green cooperation between China and foreign countries under the the Belt and Road Initiative, more "PV+" innovation models are crossing national boundaries, injecting scientific and technological temperature into ordinary life. Editor/Yang Meiling