Technology brings a combination of solar tracking with floating solar panels that increase energy production efficiency by 40%

The Portuguese company SolarisFloat developed an island of solar panels that track the position of the sun to generate more energy. The floating facility has 180 photovoltaic panels, and provides this essential differentiator to current floating solar technology.

The solar island is driven by electric motors that use less than 0,5% of all the energy it generates, and is equipped with solar tracking technology that can be single or dual axis. See how the system works in this video:

The movement of floating solar panels contributes up to 40% more energy production sustainable energy. Initially, the system was set to a total capacity of 73 kilowatts of electricity.

The innovation, named Proteus, combines solar tracking technology with floating solar panels.

The floating solar farm SolarisFloat was installed on Lake Oostvoornse Meer in the south-east of the Netherlands. In contrast to other floating solar farms around the planet, it tracks the Sun through its panels and seeks its best position in the sky to capture the greatest amount of radiation possible.

The Proteus system is designed to be modular, deployable and scalable. In addition to the good influence they have on the environment by producing clean energy, these solutions also clearly benefit the aquatic ecology in which they operate. 

In addition to providing clean energy, SolarisFloat's solar island benefits the aquatic ecosystem

By producing a “superficial” decrease in temperature as a result of the shadows cast by the floating structure and solar panels on the water, the process results in a reduction in water evaporation of around 60%.

In addition, the influence of shade can reduce the formation of algae and accelerate the reproduction of other microorganisms beneficial to water quality. These advantages can still be improved with the installation of oxygenation devices.

At this time, SolarisFloat provides two distinct types of its floating solar panel island. The first system is the PROTEVS+, which has a surface area of ​​1.444 square meters, 180 modules, double tracking axis and 38 meters in diameter. It even has panels that move vertically, making it more compact than other systems. 

The other type is PROTEVS Single 360, which operates on a single axis and has a fixed tilt of 10 degrees. This is capable of supplying 360 modules, with an installed capacity of 147 kWp for 410 W panels. However, the inclination of the system is not adjustable.