Important Findings from Floating Offshore Solar Testing in the North Sea
A new white paper released under the North Sea Two (NS2) project outlines key discoveries from full-scale testing of floating offshore solar systems under simulated North Sea wave conditions. The tests, conducted in the Deltares Delta Flume, were a collaborative effort by Oceans of Energy, Deltares, TNO, and DNV.
According to Deltares, the research provides structural validation for floating solar modules deployed at seawater level and offers recommendations for establishing certification processes in the offshore solar sector.
“The Delta Flume tests have provided valuable insights into the behavior of the floating system and individual components under severe wave loads,” said Roderik Hoekstra, Deltares Project Lead.
Despite the increasing interest in offshore solar as a complementary technology to offshore wind, there is currently no standardized testing or certification framework in place. The NS2 project aims to bridge this gap by generating evidence through field operations and lab simulations.
Deltares emphasizes that certification is crucial for enabling long-term, cost-effective deployment in harsh marine environments.
Full-scale Flume Testing
The Delta Flume experiments evaluated wave loads on various floating platforms from Oceans of Energy under controlled yet realistic offshore conditions. Researchers focused on the mechanical response of the PV modules and overall system dynamics.
“The NS2 Delta Flume tests have significantly enhanced our understanding of how our offshore solar systems withstand the high waves in the offshore North Sea environment. This collaboration is crucial in advancing towards the certification of offshore solar,” said Fabian Koppes, Head of Product at Oceans of Energy.
Koppes also mentioned that insights from these tests informed Oceans of Energy’s recent system installation within the CrossWind Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm in the summer of 2025.
Importance of Proto-scale Testing
The program integrated small- and proto-scale tests. While small-scale models help identify core mechanical mechanisms, proto-scale testing enabled detailed force measurements on individual components, which are essential for accurate structural modeling.
“This provided DNV with a better understanding of the structural and mechanical requirements of these systems. It demonstrated how testing activities contribute to the development of offshore solar certification,” added DNV.
DNV specialists were present to witness the full-scale testing, with data collected across varying floater lengths and wave conditions.
“TNO is pleased to have contributed to this collaborative experiment in a unique experimental testing environment to validate hydrodynamic models and assess the impact of waves on solar panels,” said Jan Kroon, TNO Project Lead.
White Paper Recommendations
The findings are documented in the white paper “The Structural Testing of Offshore Solar Systems and PV-Modules by wave slamming in the Deltares Delta Flume.” It outlines the methodology, experimental results, and guidance for advancing towards certification.
“With the results and recommendations in the paper, policymakers and industry can take the next steps towards certification, thereby bringing the potential offered by offshore solar energy a step closer to reality,” Deltares stated.
The NS2 project, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, includes a four-year offshore pilot and controlled laboratory tests. Partners in the project include Oceans of Energy, Deltares, DNV, and TNO.
In May, offshore installation works were finalized for the anchoring system of the first offshore solar farm to be installed within the Hollandse Kust Noord (HKN) offshore wind farm, as reported by Oceans of Energy.
In December 2024, Deltares supported the Hague-based Wave Energy Collective (Weco) in achieving first power with its Kaizen wave energy converter (WEC). The collaboration also facilitated further design validation and optimization of the device.