Lightweight Solar Solutions for Agricultural Reservoirs

The Genap Energy Cover uses HyET Solar's Powerfoil thin-film solar modules with an efficiency of 12.0% for agricultural water storage, with an initial focus on the Dutch greenhouse and horticultural markets.Compared with the traditional floating solar support on the water surface, the thin film solar module needs to strengthen the fixing method to prevent the influence of water flow and wind speed.

Genap said the 12kWp test unit had a power density of 60 watts/square meter, rising to 120 watts/square meter within a year, with an eventual target of 165 watts/square meter.

Floating PV modules add considerable power generation over large areas of water. Today, a new lightweight solution based on closed water coverings can harness the resources of the reservoir to provide solar power to industrial and commercial producers.

Genap is a 70-year-old company headquartered in Arnhem, The Netherlands, specializing in diaphragm solutions for agricultural water storage. This week, the company showcased its energy overlays at Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Germany. Genap has partnered with HyET Solar, a flexible PV module manufacturer also based in Arnhem, to glue flexible thin-film panels to the separator.

This energy cladding uses HyET Solar's PowerFoil 115 modules and is custom-made in length. Each component is glued in place. Lightweight Styrofoam placed between the modules and the energy cover acts as a float.

Chrétien Hendriks, business development manager at Genap, told pv magazine that the idea stemmed from the scarcity of available land and the efficiency benefits of the cooler operating temperatures of floating solar.

Hendriks said: “Our current payback period is about 8 years, and the goal is to shorten it to 5 to 6 years. But the normal energy cover we sell has a 15-year warranty. We are also exploring how to remove the components that have been stuck. , so that they can be reused on new energy blankets."

Increasing production is a key goal, Hendriks said. “In the test setup, the first-generation panels produced around 60 watts/m2, which increased to 120 watts/m2 a year later, and our ultimate goal is around 165 watts/m2. This is our first Once the design is done, we continue to optimize and significantly increase the [membrane] coverage of the PV installation — we hope to reach 90 percent of the entire pontoon.”

Genap expects to launch the energy overlay in the third quarter of 2022. The use of this retractable plastic foil cover simplifies maintenance, but because of the heavy infrastructure without fixed panels, the strength requirements for the cables to the fixtures may be higher.