Norway Tech Helps Solar Panels Float on Moving Water

Imagine trying to anchor a solar farm on water that rises and falls as high as a 15-story building. That's exactly what Fred. Olsen 1848 just pulled off in Portugal.

The Oslo-based company installed four automatic Tension Buoys at a Portuguese dam lake where water levels swing by 50 meters throughout the year. Most mooring systems can't handle that kind of movement, but these self-adjusting buoys adapt automatically to keep floating solar panels secure and stable.

The five-day installation at EDP Floating PV Lab marks a major step forward for hybrid renewable energy. Dam reservoirs cover massive surface areas that could generate solar power while the dams produce hydroelectric energy below. Until now, the dramatic water level changes made reliable floating solar nearly impossible.

"By validating our technology in a dam lake with such large water level and bathymetry variations, we are uncovering the potential for floating solar and hydro power hybridisation," said Even Hjetland, Principal Development Engineer at Fred. Olsen 1848. The system will run as a live demonstration for a year, providing real-world data on performance and maintenance needs.

The Ripple Effect

This breakthrough could transform how we think about renewable energy infrastructure. Thousands of reservoirs and dams worldwide sit idle between water production cycles, their vast surfaces wasted. Floating solar panels on these existing water bodies could generate clean electricity without using any new land.

The collaboration brought together innovation from multiple partners. Norwegian company Sperra contributed 3D-printed gravity anchors that work alongside the Tension Buoy system. EDP, Portugal's major energy provider, sees the lab as a competitive advantage for developing next-generation renewable solutions.

Unlike conventional mooring systems limited by depth and water fluctuation, the Tension Buoy technology can theoretically work in virtually any reservoir condition. That flexibility means renewable energy developers can now consider sites they previously dismissed as impractical.

The technology weaves together two clean energy streams on surfaces once thought unusable, turning water level challenges into opportunities for doubled renewable output.