Universal theme park thrills powered by floating solar project

Universal's new Epic Universe theme park in Orlando is now running partly on solar power that floats on water. A company called D3Energy installed a 1.4-megawatt floating solar system on-site, part of a larger 3.7-megawatt solar setup across the park. The floating panels sit on the water using platform technology from a company called Ciel & Terre, rather than taking up space on land or rooftops.

The power from the floating array charges batteries during the day, which then charge the park's electric buses overnight. Epic Universe has also become the first theme park to earn LEED Platinum certification, a rating system that recognizes buildings and developments built with strong environmental and energy standards. This is the second floating solar project Universal has built with D3Energy, following an earlier one at its main Orlando campus in 2021.

For homeowners, this isn't a story about a program or rebate you can use, since floating solar is built for large properties with ponds, lakes, or retention basins, not typical house lots. But it's a sign that solar technology keeps expanding into new settings, and that battery storage paired with solar, letting you store power during the day and use it later, is becoming a more common way for big energy users to cut costs and emissions. The same basic idea, generating solar power and storing it in a battery for use when you need it, is available at a smaller scale for homes today.