Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) put its new “floating PV” module on display at this week’s Solar Energy UK exhibition and conference.

The eye-catching display module was part of the Singapore-headquartered group’s stand at the show, which opened on Tuesday and closes today.

While the company, which is planning to have its manufacturing capacity up to 1.3GW from its factory in Singapore by the end of the year, is yet to announce an installation using its modules, a spokeswoman at the show told Solar Power Portal REC had received enquiries from customers in a number of countries. REC has partnered with Ciel et Terre, a French company which makes the pontoons that keep the modules afloat.

REC also brought its ‘TwinPeak’ PV modules to the show, with the company exhibiting under its own branded stand for the first time in Britain. The modules are “half cut” – half-sized to reduce losses – rated up to 280 watt-peak and use passive emitter rear cell (PERC) technology.

Floating PV installations have been installed in regions including Japan and the US and are considered a good fit in certain scenarios- their installation on reservoirs and the shading they provide over the water could prevent some evaporation, for instance, while also slowing the bloom of algae in the water. The cooling effect of a body of water underneath the PV panels could also improve their overall performance. In Japan, where land resources for ground-mount PV have become increasingly limited, floating PV has also found a niche as an alternative siting option.

Solar Energy UK 2015 saw a number of global makers of advanced PV and related equipment showcasing new and talked-about products within the international industry, including ‘smart modules’ incorporating power electronics by Tigo Energy, a new, compact and lightweight residential inverter from SolarEdge and of course, Tesla’s Powerwall residential energy storage battery.