The researchers intend to invest in the development of floating photovoltaic plants that follow the sun. This system of "islands" of solar panels makes it possible to maximize the solar energy captured.
According to the European Patent Office (EPO), Portuguese engineers Nuno Correia, Carla Gomes and their team have been nominated for the European Inventor's Prize 2022.
The researchers intend to invest in the development of floating photovoltaic plants that follow the sun. This system of "islands" of solar panels makes it possible to maximize the solar energy captured.
The PROTEVS, name of the developed system, consists of "islands" of 38 meters of diameter with 180 photovoltaic solar panels, each one, that allow them to rotate towards the sun, by electric motors.
This invention by two Portuguese engineers makes it possible to raise the efficiency level of these panels by 40%, and is made of 100% recycled materials.
This technology was produced at the Institute for Science and Innovation in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering (INEGI), in Porto. The project by Nuno Correia and Carla Gomes is one of the four finalists in the category of small and medium-sized companies with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than 50 million euros.
The announcement of the winner will be made on June 21st, 2022.
António Campinos, president of the IEP, sees this invention as "an excellent example of how technology can help reduce dependence on fossil fuels and contribute to a more sustainable use of the earth's resources, while encouraging investment in renewable energy on a large scale."
The two engineers and their team were contracted by the Portuguese company SolarisFloat to develop this system of floating islands that made it possible for solar photovoltaic panels on water to follow the position of the sun, which was already happening on land.
The installation of photovoltaic systems on water can increase their efficiency up to about 15% compared to land-based installation. Besides this factor, Nuno Correia clarifies that "having these systems on water also means that we are not occupying land with agricultural potential with the production of photovoltaic energy.
Besides the benefits in maximizing solar energy production, PROTEVS has effects in mitigating water scarcity.
According to a statement, by producing shade and acting as a windbreak, the platform decreases evaporation by up to 60%. This factor becomes quite essential in countries where water scarcity is a major problem, such as Portugal.
The effects of PROTEVS on local ecosystems are now being analyzed in a pilot project with a consortium led by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research.
SolarisFloat, the company that subcontracted the creation of PROTEVS to INEGI, will be the patent holder and, consequently, the marketer of this system.
Nuno Correia shows the relevance of the Portuguese company for the development of this technology and states that "nobody would have invested the money they did without a patent".
The company's commercial plans project an international market where the market for floating solar panels is expected to grow more than 24% between 2022 and 2030.
This is already the third time that the European Inventor Award has Portuguese names as finalists. In 2013, Helena Pereira was a finalist as the coordinator of research, developed in conjunction with Corticeira Amorim, for the expansion and greater use of cork. In 2016, the current Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Elvira Fortunato, was a finalist with the paper transistor.
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