Petaluma,
CA, USA -- Ciel & Terre USA (http://www.ciel-et-terre.net),
innovators in floating solar power systems, today announced the
completion of two new floating solar projects. A municipal floating
solar project in Walden, Colorado, and a private floating solar
project for Salad Cosmo in Dixon, California, are producing
cost-effective solar power to offset greenhouse gas emissions. Other
larger projects are under construction and planned in the U.S.
The
Town of Walden, Colorado, faced a challenge with rising energy costs,
and by partnering with Johnson Controls on a performance contract,
which was supported by Colorado Energy Office, Department of Local
Affairs, and GRID Alternatives, the town installed a 75kW floating
solar system with Ciel & Terre technology capable of potentially
completely powering the town's drinking water facility in certain
months. The $400,000 project included a town-wide energy audit and a
$200,000 investment from the town. Estimates are that Walden will
save $10,000 per year in energy costs.
"The
floating solar array is a milestone for the Town of Walden and
highlights the potential for Colorado's overall energy efforts,"
said Rowena Adams, Performance Infrastructure™ account executive at
Johnson Controls. "It was a practical choice for Walden given
the surrounding bodies of water and the town's energy resiliency
efforts at the Town Water Treatment Facility, as well as the desire
to conserve water and minimize algae growth. At Johnson Controls, we
are always looking for sustainable environments to work with and
Walden has become a prime example of what can be achieved through
strong partnerships."
"We
were excited to be a part of Colorado's first floating solar
installation," said Jake Bobrow, Project Manager for GRID
Alternatives. "Having installed many ground and roof mounted
systems, we were also delighted with how easy Ciel & Terre's
system was to assemble and install."
Salad
Cosmo USA, a family-owned bean sprout producer in Dixon, California,
has made an environment commitment that includes using recyclable
packaging, composting waste products for use in the fields, and
irrigating with waste water. As part of that commitment, Salad Cosmo
wanted a sustainable energy solution for production and hired Sky
Power Solar of San Ramon, California, to install a 600 kWp floating
solar plant using Ciel & Terre's floating photovoltaic
technology.
"Placing
a solar system on our farm land would have reduced the yield of our
agricultural products that we need from that land. And in summer time
the temperature of the panels does not rise on the water as much as
it would on the land, and that improves the solar panel efficiency,"
said Masahiro Nakada, CEO OF Salad Cosmo U.S.A Corp.
"The
Ciel & Terre solution enabled Salad Cosmo to utilize the surface
area of the pond, saving land for more productive uses. The system is
easy to install and well-engineered," said Bob Winn, President
of Sky Power Solar. "We look forward to doing more of these
projects."
"These
two installations demonstrate that floating solar has become a
compelling energy solution for both municipal water treatment and
private industry anywhere in the U.S.," said Eva Pauly-Bowles,
Representative Director for Ciel & Terre USA, Inc. "With
demand for solar power continuing to rise and available real estate
becoming more expensive, floating solar is the ideal solution for
anyone with a manmade pond or body of water. It's cost-effective,
quick to install, easy to maintain, and offers a variety of
environmental benefits. Floating solar is no longer an exotic niche
in the US, but a rapidly growing sector of the solar market. Ciel &
Terre USA has other larger floating solar projects under construction
and planned across the country."
Deploying
a floating solar array on manmade bodies of water improves energy
production by keeping the solar system cooler. At the same time it
reduces evaporation, controls algae growth, and reduces water
movement to minimize bank erosion. Floating solar arrays also make
optimal use of pond surfaces, providing clean solar energy without
committing expensive real estate or requiring rooftop installations.
About
Ciel & Terre
Established
in 2006 as a renewable Independent Power Producer (IPP), Ciel &
Terre has been fully devoted to floating solar PV since 2011. The
French company pioneered Hydrelio®, the first specific and
industrialized system to make solar panels float on water, with
criteria such as cost-effectiveness, safety, longevity, resistance to
winds and waves, simplicity, drinking water compliance, and optimized
electrical yield.
Ciel
& Terre has floating solar installations in Japan, Korea, China,
UK, France, Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia, Italy, Taiwan as well as the
United States. The company has its United States headquarters in
Petaluma, California.
For
more information, visit http://www.ciel-et-terre.net.
Contact:
Tom
Woolf
Woolf
Media & Marketing
415.842.7398
