In March, a new 1-MW floating solar array went online in Gibsonston, Florida. The array, which is owned by Tampa Electric (TECO), will help the utility meet its goal of having net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
In March, a new 1-MW floating solar array went online in Gibsonston, Florida. The array, which is owned by Tampa Electric (TECO), will help the utility meet its goal of having net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The solar panels sit atop an existing pond at the 1.8 GW coal-fired Big Bend Power Station. The panels take up about 3 acres of the 14-acre pond and are anchored to pilings around the shoreline, similar to a boat being tied to a dock, said the utility in a press release.
The solar panels are secured to “floats,” which are aluminum frames with walkways, that include large foam panels encased in polyethylene plastic, said Jordan Ekhlassi, senior engineer for Tampa Electric and project manager for the floating solar project, in an interview. The floats, provided by TECO subcontractor AccuSolar, are rigid and stable.
Wires that connect the array to the land-based equipment are supported on the floats, to keep them out of the water.
Half of the floating solar array’s 3,200 solar panels are double-sided, so they also collect sunlight reflecting off the water. It is Tampa Electric’s first use of double-sided panels.
“This project is a great learning experience. We will be collecting and analyzing data from this site over the next few years. We hope to see whether this type of solar array can work at a larger scale,” said Ekhlassi.
Studies have shown double-sided panels can produce as much as 30 percent more energy than traditional panels, the utility said. In addition, the amount of floating solar projects in operations is expected to grow dramatically in the next decade. Floating solar panels are typically installed on human-made bodies of water, such as the pond at Big Bend.
“Exploring alternative solutions like this, to maximize space while producing as much solar energy as possible, will play a significant role in achieving our vision of net-zero carbon emissions,” said Archie Collins, president and CEO at TECO.
The demonstration project expands the company’s Clean Energy Center at the Florida Conservation and Technology Center in Apollo Beach. The center is a collaboration of Tampa Electric, the Florida Aquarium and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
TECO said it has installed more than 750 MW of solar to date this year and has more on the way. At the end of 2023, TECO will have more than 1.25 GW of solar capacity, which means about 14 percent of the utility’s energy is fueled by the sun.
TECO serves about 800,000 customers in West Central Florida and is a subsidiary of Emera, headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Source: Power Grid International
