Bonita Springs Utilities Inc.’s East Water Reclamation Facility will host a floating solar array designed to offset a majority of the site’s energy demand as part of a long-term energy strategy.
Andy Koebel
Don Woodruff
Bonita Springs Utilities Inc.’s East Water Reclamation Facility will host a floating solar array designed to offset a majority of the site’s energy demand as part of a long-term energy strategy.
Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. plans to install a floating photovoltaic solar array as part of a broader effort to stabilize energy costs and strengthen infrastructure.
The nonprofit water and wastewater provider will build a 1.5-megawatt floating system, often referred to as floatovoltaics, on a pond at its East Water Reclamation Facility, an energy-intensive membrane bioreactor treatment plant.
Once completed this fall or early next year, the alternating current photovoltaic system is expected to generate about 60% of the facility’s energy needs. It will operate under a net metering agreement with Florida Power & Light.
BSU’s board approved the project in March as part of a long-term strategy for the member-owned utility cooperative, which serves households in Bonita Springs, Estero and south Lee County.
Andy Koebel
Federal tax credits are expected to cover about 40% of the $3.95 million project cost, making the system financially viable, said BSU Executive Director Andy Koebel. With energy representing one of the utility’s largest operating expenses, officials estimate the project will pay for itself in about 10 years before generating annual savings.
“It’s not just clean energy but savings on costs we in turn can pass on by not having to raise our rates,” Koebel said. “We’re constantly looking for ways to reduce our energy consumption because it is such a large component of the water and wastewater treatment industry.”
Floating solar arrays can offer several operational advantages, including improved panel efficiency due to cooling from the water and reduced evaporation from ponds. The systems also are designed to withstand storms through durable anchoring and infrastructure, while making use of otherwise unused water surfaces.
Don Woodruff
“It’s just unused real estate, more or less,” said BSU Director of Operations Don Woodruff. “It’s a great facility for utilities that have open storage reservoirs.”
Utilities across Florida are increasingly adopting floating solar technology, moving from pilot projects to broader implementation.
In 2020, Altamonte Springs Electric Utility installed a 1-megawatt floating system at its Regional Water Reclamation Facility. That same year, FPL partnered with Miami-Dade County to install a floating solar array at Blue Lagoon near Miami International Airport.
Tampa Electric Co. followed in 2022 with a 1-megawatt floating array near Apollo Beach. In 2023, Duke Energy launched a similar system at its Hines Energy Complex in Bartow. Orange County Utilities completed a 1.2-megawatt project in 2024, and the Orlando Utilities Commission announced a 2-megawatt floating solar array in 2025.
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