Demonstration at pre-commercial level of an innovative cable-suspended bifacial PV system on artificial water bodies, deployable on unexploited lands and industrial sites

Project Overview

The LIFE FilSun project - Demonstration at pre-commercial level of an innovative cable-suspended bifacial PV system on artificial water bodies, deployable on unexploited lands and industrial sites - is coordinated by EDF with the support of expert technology providers (Mécamont and Photowatt).

Objectives

The project aims to demonstrate for the first time at a pre-commercial level the technical and economic feasibility of an innovative cable-suspended vertical photovoltaic technology. This technology will be deployed on the banks of the canal of a hydroelectric plant in Carbonne, France.

Implementation

Through the design, development, installation, and operation of the solution over a 15-month period, the 1MW demonstrator will enable the technology to reach TRL8. It will provide evidence-based data on its technical performances and design, allowing for the valuation of unexploited lands and sites such as:

• Canals
• Basins
• Reservoirs
• Brownfields

This will be achieved through a multi-purpose land approach.

Context

The project builds on the premise that the growth and deployment of photovoltaic technology are increasingly facing constraints related to land accessibility and land competition. Despite this, hundreds of thousands of hectares of land that could be equipped with photovoltaic systems remain unexploited.

Expected Outcomes

The LIFE FilSun project will demonstrate the ability of the cable-suspended bifacial PV technology to:

1. Provide a cost-efficient technological answer to land scarcity issues.
2. Contribute to increased generation and use of renewable electricity in the EU (over 1 GWh/year of renewable electricity produced).
3. Reduce CO2 emissions.

Market Impact

The quick learning curve of the technology, its decreasing costs, and its tremendous replication potential in Europe, together with the implementation of ambitious short-term replication, will:

• Speed up market uptake.
• Raise the interest of industrial customers.
• Foster the industrialization of the cable-suspended PV value chain in Europe.