Offshore wind energy has been a rapidly growing industry in recent years, and a company out of Italy is on the verge of revolutionizing the energy sector. Saipem, an engineering services company, just launched the world’s first full-scale floating solar energy platform prototype, called XolarSurf, according to Interesting Engineering.
XolarSurf will spend about a year off the coast of Norway, where its performance and production capacity will be monitored. It’s manufactured to withstand 26-foot waves along with the other harsh conditions in the North Atlantic. XolarSurf has a capacity of up to 13.5 megawatts, according to Saipem. For perspective, one megawatt can power roughly 1,000 homes.
“XolarSurf represents a new frontier in the floating solar segment,” the company website states, “capable of being installed in any coastal or offshore location, even under harsh environmental conditions.”
