Putting NanoDeck™ through its paces
- Jun 10
- 2 min read
As we move towards our first NanoDeck™ installation later this year, ensuring that every engineering and design decision performs as intended has been a key priority. That means we’ve had to put our solar tiles through rigorous independent testing.
Our engineering team – Sam Mills, Chris Russell and Joe Jaquest – recently partnered with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the UK’s national measurement institute and a globally respected organisation, to put NanoDeck™ through its paces. The results have given us real confidence in what we’ve built.
NPL ran two types of mechanical testing on our tiles: static load (crush) testing and dynamic impact (drop) testing.
The static tests involved applying increasing downward force to the surface of each tile, with forces reaching over 10kN. Panels were loaded progressively with deflection constantly monitored, so we could understand not just when failure occurs, but how the tile behaves under increasing stress.
The dynamic tests simulated impacts through a steel ball bearing dropped from increasing heights onto the centre and edges of each tile. This replicates the accidental knocks, dropped tools, wave forces or footfall a panel might experience in real-world conditions on deck during service and maintenance.
The results exceeded our expectations and provided strong evidence of NanoDeck™’s durability under demanding conditions – our tiles withstood loads of more than a ton. For context, a single 216mm x 216mm tile can handle the weight of approximately 15 people. Impact testing demonstrated strong resilience across a range of drop heights, with panels performing well right up to the limits of the test sequence.
Importantly, the real-world results closely matched our calculations, with less than 1% variation, validating our engineering decisions to date.
We are grateful to the NPL for independently validating NanoDeck™ through this testing programme. For vessels operating thousands of miles from port, reliability is essential. The results show that NanoDeck™ is a robust, practical piece of marine infrastructure designed to perform consistently in demanding environments.
