MARIN and SolarDuck Test Solar Array Station-Keeping
MARIN and SolarDuck have completed high-precision station-keeping tests of a 54-platform floating solar array, demonstrating the survivability in high sea states.
The tests, conducted in MARIN’s Offshore Basin, involved a 1:20 scale model of interconnected triangular platforms arranged in a HEX-3 configuration. This setup represents a real-world solar capacity of approximately 6 MWp. The project builds on earlier phases, which began with a single platform test and expanded to six platforms in a HEX-1 layout before reaching the current 54-platform array.
A new optical system was developed to track the motion of each platform individually using ceiling-mounted cameras and optical markers. With this unique test setup the motions of up to 100 platforms were tracked in a measurement area of 15m x 15m.
MARIN and SolarDuck say the work paves the way for scalable, resilient, and sustainable energy infrastructure.