Floating Solar Project Glimmers Atop Golden Reservoir

The Colorado city which is home to earthquake, renewable energy and beer research will welcome a floating solar pilot project atop a water storage reservoir and designed to power water delivery to residents.

Noria Energy is building the 50-kW floating solar array in Golden, which is west of Denver. The city is home to Coors Brewing Co., the National Earthquake Information Center and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

The floating solar panels include Noria’s AquaPhi tracker technology and are being placed on the surface of Fairmount Reservoir. As demand for energy and water increase, the Noria project is designed to both generate electricity and conserve water by reducing evaporation.

Fairmount Reservoir is owned and operated by Consolidated Mutual Water Co. (CMWC), a partner in the Noria floating solar project.

“We are excited to embark on the prospects of floating solar as a means to not only produce and conserve energy, but also to improve our water supply by reducing how much is lost to evaporation,” CMWC Chief of Water Resources Jarod Robers said in a statement.

Other contributors to the Noria project include GRID Alternatives and Hazelett Marine, which bring engineering and installation, workforce development and renewable energy access expertise. The AquaPhi technology helps the floating solar system track the sun across the sky by rotating the solar islands. This can increase energy capacity by up to 20%, Noria says.

The Fairmount Reservoir floating solar project is slated for commissioning later this month. It will help power CMWC water infrastructure in its aim to deliver water to 100,000 customers in the greater Denver area.