A German power firm will launch demonstrations of a one-of-a-kind, triple-threat power generating platform off Iraklio, Greece, later this year.
SINN Power has been testing wave energy converter modules for five years. Buoys attached to steel frame components generate energy as waves push them up and down. The modular nature of the platform is unique in the industry.
“The modular design has been a key element since we started developing maritime technologies that allow flexibility and a wide variety of applications,” according to SINN Power CEO Philipp Sinn. “The floating platform can supply renewable energy to islands across the world … and contribute to the worldwide implementation of offshore wind farms.”
The platforms rely on three renewable sources of energy: wave, wind and solar.
The company has extended an invitation to solar photovoltaic manufacturers to test their equipment on the floating platforms this fall.
A single platform can accommodate a 20 kW solar array and up to four 6 kW wind turbines. Water-generated power can be culled from four integrated wave-energy converters that can tap into waves up to 6.5 feet high with barely any platform motion. The system is designed to handle waves up to nearly 20 feet high.
The modular nature of the system means it can be tailored to a wide variety of industrial needs. Uniform replacement parts can be easily obtained and installed, and modularity overall should help keep costs lower than current standard industry equipment.
“It’s always the same, it’s super modular,” Sinn said. “We can always use the same parts, the same electronics regardless of which configuration is constructed. So, with this strategy, we want to get into volume … and [demonstrate] that wave power is really attractive against solar.”
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