Ameresco recently announced the completion of Utah’s first floating solar array, developed in partnership with the Mountain Regional Water Special Service District.
The floating solar project, located on a holding pond at the Signal Hill Water Treatment Plant, was commemorated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by representatives from Ameresco, Mountain Regional Water, and Rocky Mountain Power.
Ameresco partnered with the floating PV developer, D3Energy, to develop the 587.5 KW floating solar array, supported by a $400,000 grant from Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Award program.
It is designed to generate 871,086 kilowatt-hours of energy annually. By providing electricity directly to the water treatment plant, the system will offset 92% of the plant’s grid energy consumption and reduce energy costs by 80%.
The floating solar array efficiently uses available water surfaces to generate renewable energy, providing an ideal solution for maximizing energy production without impacting land resources.
The project was completed ahead of schedule, with construction finalized by September 10, 2024, and commissioning completed on September 20. Full utility permission to operate is expected by October 23, 2024.
Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky program awarded this project to the Mountain Regional Water Service District as one of a dozen community-based renewable energy projects awarded in 2023.
Blue Sky is an opt-in program that gives Rocky Mountain Power customers the option to match all or part of their energy use with renewable energy.
Public power communities have also pursued floating solar projects. In January 2021, the City of Healdsburg, Calif., completed the 4.78-megawatt photovoltaic solar array for the recycled-water ponds at its Wastewater Treatment Facility. Healdsburg staff conceived the project with the support of the Northern California Power Agency.
