Kim Trapani, Energy Researcher at MIRARCO in Sudbury, Canada, has been working on the development of a floating solar system, Canadian media writes.
The system will be tested next year in the Mediterranean Sea near Malta.
It is made of flexible solar panels, so they can be easily bent, which makes them move with the water instead of opposing the water movements.
Each panel is 1m2 large and can produce 100W of electricity. The demonstration project in Malta will see 20x20m large floating solar system, which can produce around 8 kW of clean energy and power up three households.
Putting solar panels offshore has a lot of advantages, such as the cooling effect of the water on solar panels so they do not overheat, making them more efficient. Furthermore, installing panels on land requires cutting down trees and occupying a certain area that can be used for other purposes, which is not the case with offshore installations, Ms Trapani explained.
MIRARCO is a non-for-profit corporation of Laurentian University in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.