Duke Energy to build Florida floating solar array

• Work with 1MW pilot to start later on this month in Polk County

Duke Energy Florida today introduced that its first floating solar array pilot will certainly start construction later on this month in Polk County.

The nearly 1MW floating solar array will certainly feature more than 1,800 floating solar modules and occupy about 2 acres of water surface area on an existing air conditioning pond at the Duke Energy Hines Energy Complex in Bartow.

Duke Energy Florida state president Melissa Seixas stated: "We're thrilled to obtain hands-on experience with Duke Energy Florida's first floating solar project at one of our very own power plant sites.

" Unique pilots like floating solar are aiding us better recognize the capacities of ingenious clean energy innovations that can benefit our Florida clients and neighborhoods currently and in the future."

Crews will construct and also assemble the module floating system on land in sectors before protecting it with anchors in the water.

The project will certainly take around 5 to 6 months.

The pilot becomes part of Duke Energy's Vision Florida program, which is created to test ingenious projects such as microgrids and also battery energy storage, to name a few, to prepare the power grid for a clean energy future.

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, has 10,500 MW of energy capacity, supplying electrical power to 1.9 million household, commercial and also commercial customers throughout a 13,000-square-mile service location in Florida.