Hydrodynamic Analysis of a 2MW Offshore Floating Solar Farm with Breakwater Protection

Within the EU project SUREWAVE a new concept for the upscaling of Floating PhotoVoltaics (FPV) to offshore environments is developed. The new concept integrates an existing FPV design with a floating breakwater ring that provides shelter against waves. The system is designed for harsh offshore conditions at sites in the Baltic, Mediterranean and North Seas. It was conducted using the linear diffraction code DIFFRAC.

Key highlights are:

• 3692 floating bodies modeled (3660 floatingsolar units + 32 floating breakwaters)
• 7469 joints/hinges connecting the floating solar units and linking them to the breakwater
• 212,700 mesh elements used for simulation
• Model validated through wave basin tests of a simplified 3×5 array with breakwater
• Breakwaters effectively reduce short-wave energy and hinge loads inside the ring
• System flexibility helps accommodate longer waves without inducing high structural loads

We presented our work at MARINE 2025, Edinburgh, UK. Download and read the full paper here.