GHG Emissions, Industrial, Solar  -  September 27, 2024

Mountain Regional Water Special Service District Adds Solar

The Mountain Regional Water Special Service District in Utah added a floating solar project located on a holding pond at the Signal Hill Water Treatment Plant.

Ameresco, Inc., a cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, celebrated the completion of Utah’s first floating solar array.

Ameresco partnered with the floating PV developer, D3Energy, to develop the 587.5-KW floating solar array that was supported by a $400,000 grant from Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Award program.

The solar array is designed to generate 871,086 kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 609 metric tons 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.

“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 Chris Braun, Mountain Regional Chief Technology Officer, in a statement. “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 construction finalized by September 10 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, reducing their carbon footprints and driving demand for new renewable energy in the West. 

Since 2006, Blue Sky program participants have helped fund over 216 new, community-based renewable energy projects in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming communities. In 2023, more than 138,000 Blue Sky participants collectively supported 1,021,063 megawatt-hours of renewable energy, reducing their combined carbon footprints by 639,180 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

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