First Floating Solar Project of Duke Energy Kicks Off in Florida

First Floating Solar Project of Duke Energy Kicks Off in Florida

The first floating solar project in Florida by clean energy firm Duke Energy is now operational and producing  renewable energy.  The floating solar project of close to 1 MW boasts over 1,800 solar panels floating atop two acres of water surface on a cooling pond at the Duke Energy Hines Energy Complex located in Bartow.

The project also features bifacial solar panels enabling the absorption of light from both the sides. This facilitates the production of 10%-20% additional power when compared to one-sided solar panels.

The construction of the project was completed and connected to the grid in a time period of six months.

Vision Florida 

The pilot project comes under the ‘Vision Florida’ programme of Duke Energy, which has been introduced to test projects such as green hydrogen, hydrogen generated from sources other than fossil fuels, and various battery energy storage technologies.

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Duke Energy Florida had also announced ‘Clean Energy Impact’, its renewable energy certificates (RECs) programme. These renewable certificates are available to customers looking to achieve their sustainability goals and support local renewable energy.

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The product is available for residential, small and medium business customers in Duke Energy’s Florida service area but may be especially useful for large commercial and industrial customers. It is an alternative to the company’s existing community solar programme, Clean Energy Connection.

In November, the firm had revealed plans to establish a green hydrogen production and storage system linked to its current solar site in Volusia County.

Duke Energy Florida State President Melissa Seixas said, “By exploring alternative solutions on a smaller scale and on our own property, we are maximizing the space and expanding our use and knowledge of innovative emission free technologies that will move us forward on our path to net-zero carbon emissions.”

Duke Energy which has been around in Florida since the 1980s, has set sights on setting 25 grid-tied solar power plants in operation in 2024. These will promise close to 1500 MW of emission-free generation.