A New Energy: Composite Materials （Black technology）Unlocks A New Path for Floating Photovoltaic Solutions To Reduce Costs and Increase Efficiency
Fiber composite products and recycling
The 3rd Photovoltaic Fiberglass Reinforced Composite Materials Industry Development Conference and Application Seminar, jointly organized by the China Glass Fiber Industry Association and the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, will be held in Lianshui, Jiangsu from May 11 to 13, 2025. The conference will focus on technological upgrading, standard construction, and scene innovation, and explore the path of differentiated competition. Mr. Pan Zhefeng, Product Director of the New Energy Application Technology Department, was invited to attend the conference and give a keynote speech on "System Design and Application of Composite Materials for Floating PV Solutions".
As a major water resource country, according to relevant data, China has approximately 710,000 square kilometers of offshore photovoltaic area available for development in its coastal areas, with a theoretical installed capacity of about 70GW, possessing vast potential for offshore photovoltaic development. Driven by the strategic goal of "dual carbon" and continuously empowered by national policies, floating photovoltaic solutions on water surfaces have gradually become an emerging growth point in the "photovoltaic+" field.
From the scattered inland reservoirs to the turbulent coastal waters, the innovative model of surface photovoltaics not only opens up a new energy implementation path under the background of scarce land resources, but also promotes the formation of a green development pattern with ecological friendliness and overlapping benefits through the three-dimensional application of "on-board power generation and off-board aquaculture".
Omnipotent controls the water surface field
Realize composite value through light looseness
As the photovoltaic industry enters a stage of rapid development, the market demand for products that combine high reliability and cost-effectiveness continues to rise. In this context, composite materials have become a highly favored innovative material choice in photovoltaic solutions due to their excellent physical properties, cost-effectiveness, green environmental attributes, and flexible design, and their application scenarios continue to expand.
Mr. Pan Zhefeng stated in his keynote speech that floating photovoltaic power plants have put forward more stringent requirements for product weather resistance for core components such as components, brackets, floating bodies, and mooring anchors due to long-term exposure to complex and changing water environments. The DAON module, which is applicable to surface photovoltaic, innovatively adopts a double glass structure design, which realizes the strict protection of "0" water penetration, and at the same time, has excellent anti-ultraviolet and anti-aging capabilities. By using a new type of composite frame, costs can be effectively reduced by about 20% to 25% compared to aluminum frames. At the same time, it can maintain high stability performance in extreme environments such as humidity, acidity, alkalinity, and salt spray, greatly improving the durability of the power station in harsh water environments. The system does not require grounding, which helps to reduce PID risks at the system end, improve the safety of system operation and maintenance, and provide reliable guarantees for the long-term stable operation of floating photovoltaic solutions.
In the wave of integrated development of new energy and ecological industries, composite material floating bodies have become an "all-around player" in the field of surface photovoltaic solutions with multiple advantages such as low density, high strength, corrosion resistance, low water absorption, and customizable design, opening up new paths for industries such as floating photovoltaics, offshore energy development, and smart fishing and aquaculture.
Low density endows composite floating bodies with the "lightweight gene", which can significantly reduce the load-bearing pressure of basic structures and effectively reduce engineering construction costs. At the same time, it makes the transportation and installation of floating bodies more convenient, significantly improving construction efficiency. High strength characteristics are like "steel bars and iron bones", which can maintain a stable form under multiple tests such as wind and wave impact, water flow surge, and equipment load, ensuring the long-term safety of engineering structures.
Faced with harsh environments such as high salt erosion from seawater and chemical corrosion from industrial wastewater, composite material floats achieve an extended service life and reduce maintenance costs due to their excellent corrosion resistance. Low water absorption rate is the "buoyancy stabilizer", which can ensure the continuous and efficient operation of the floating body, and avoid the aging of internal materials due to immersion, thus extending the life cycle of the equipment.
From inland to deep sea, customized floating structures can be used to optimize the layout and improve the efficiency of photovoltaic solutions, while reserving space for functions such as fishery aquaculture and ecological monitoring, realizing the composite value of "one floating, multiple uses", and accelerating the development of water resources towards green, efficient, and intelligent directions.
Innovative composite materials
Highly reliable and weather resistant escort
To cope with the complex and harsh environmental challenges of offshore photovoltaic solutions, a new energy R&D team is based on technological innovation and relies on professional analysis methods in marine engineering to conduct refined finite element modeling of multi floating structures.
Through systematic evaluation of environmental loads such as wind, waves, and currents, the mechanical response of floating structures under extreme working conditions is accurately captured. On this basis, combined with hundreds of simulation experiments and real sea test data, multiple rounds of iterative optimization were carried out on the floating structure morphology and unit connection method to ensure the stability and reliability of the structure in complex sea conditions.
In the field of material research and development, with the goal of 25 years of safe operation, we have broken through the limitations of traditional materials and innovatively adopted high-strength non-metallic composite materials such as aluminum like polymers. With excellent seawater corrosion resistance and UV aging resistance, we can effectively resist marine environmental threats such as salt spray erosion and sunlight radiation, fundamentally improving the durability of floating bodies and supports, and building an indestructible "material defense line" for offshore photovoltaic power plants. We use our hardcore technology to safeguard the long-term stable operation of clean energy projects.
Traveling towards the sea, currently, Yidao New Energy has deployed multiple maritime demonstration projects in coastal provinces such as Shandong, Fujian, and Guangdong, striving to create national and provincial demonstration benchmarks and continue to lead industry technological innovation. Whether it is the complex hydrological environment of offshore aquaculture areas, the special working conditions of nuclear thermal drainage areas, or the extreme climate challenges of offshore islands, a new energy floating photovoltaic system has withstood rigorous tests with excellent weather resistance.
Among them, the floating photovoltaic scheme for offshore aquaculture scenes successfully withstood the invasion of the 12th level typhoon "Gemei". The solution designed for the nuclear thermal drainage area and the wind solar co site project has maintained stable operation under the impact of the 14 level typhoon "Wanyi", demonstrating the reliability and adaptability of the technical solution and product.
In addition, the company adheres to the concept of ecological symbiosis and innovatively develops offshore floating aquaculture and off grid power supply systems, deeply integrating photovoltaic technology with marine ecological protection, providing a replicable low-carbon model for the green transformation of the marine economy.
Looking towards the future, we will continue to cultivate innovative soil, guided by customer needs, fully leverage the advantages of "photovoltaic+" full scenario solutions, drive energy transformation with green kinetic energy, accelerate the large-scale practical application of floating photovoltaics on water surfaces, and contribute wisdom to global sustainable development in multiple fields.
