Renewable developer Ameresco teamed up with water utility Mountain Regional Water Special Service District to launch Utah’s first floating solar farm.

The floating solar array sits on a holding pond at the Signal Hill Water Treatment Plant in Summit County, and the goal is to help the plant dramatically cut down on its energy costs.

Floating solar developer D3Energy also worked with Ameresco to build the 587.5 kilowatt (KW) floating solar array. It’s designed to generate 871,086 kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually. It will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 609 metric tons annually, the equivalent of preventing the burning of 670,649 pounds of coal. By powering the water treatment plant directly, the system will offset 92% of the plant’s grid energy consumption and reduce energy costs by 80%.

The project got support from Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky program, which contributed a $400,000 grant. This project is a part of Rocky Mountain Power’s ongoing effort to support community-based renewable energy projects.

Floating solar farms make use of water surfaces that would otherwise go unused. Plus, by shading the water below, floating solar arrays help reduce evaporation – an added bonus in arid regions like this one.

“Traditional ground or rooftop solar wasn’t an option for us at this facility, but this innovative floating solar installation makes use of an untapped resource,” said Mountain Regional Chief Technology Officer Chris Braun. “This is one more piece of the puzzle for us to get to a net-zero energy goal as we strive to be responsible stewards for the community and the environment.”

The project was completed ahead of schedule, with commissioning completed on September 20. It’s set to officially go live by late October. It’s an exciting milestone for Utah and a great example of how floating solar could play a bigger role in renewable energy development moving forward.

Check out a video of the project below:

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