Radial vs. Ring Configurations in the Electrical Design of the Merganser Offshore Solar Project

Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in promoting renewable energy, especially through floating solar plants, which help meet energy demand and move towards decarbonization. This study uses the Merganser platform developed by RWE and SolarDuck in the North Sea, as a reference to analyze the impact of two electrical configurations—radial and ring—on capital expenditure (CAPEX). The findings indicate that the radial configuration is the most cost-effective, reducing CAPEX by 0.62% compared to the ring configuration. These results highlight the crucial role of electrical design in offshore solar farms, as it can have significant economic implications.