More space to soak up the sun

Hundred-metre long platforms which remain steady and stable in rough sea weather: TU Wien's lightweight construction creates new space for solar energy out on the water. Solar panels require a lot of space, so why not use the space which is abundant in large bodies of water to produce environmentally-friendly electricity? The main obstacle to this is waves, which endanger large floating installations on the water. A new lightweight construction has been developed at TU Wien which can be used to build platforms spanning one hundred metres long which remain steady and firmly in place - even in rough sea weather. Stable in rough weather - 'The key to this, is that Heliofloat is supported by open floatation devices,' explains Prof. Markus Haider, from the Institute for Energy Systems and Thermodynamics. 'Were a platform to be simply mounted onto air-filled, closed containers, the design of the construction would have to be inefficiently heavy and robust in order to be able to withstand heavy waves.' - The Heliofloat buoyancy units, however, are analogous to downward-facing barrels made from a soft, flexible material that floats on water. The upper section contains air that cannot escape, which enables the barrel to float; however, the air has direct with the water below. There is no closed air cushion, but rather an air column over the water which acts as a shock absorber.