CHARLOTTE – Floating solar systems? Yes, it’s a thing and soon the U.S. Army’s Fort Bragg in North Carolina will be home to the largest floating solar plant in the Southeast.

Starting in November, construction is expected to begin on the 1.1-megawatt floating facility on the Big Muddy Lake located at Camp Mackall.

It’s all part of a $36 million energy services contract with the Charlotte-based Duke Energy.

The goal: to boost energy resilience and security at the army installation – including lighting and water upgrades, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning and boiler system improvements.

Duke Energy already has some 3,300 MW of solar power in NC, enough to power about 700,000 homes and businesses at peak output, the utility says.

“As a leader in solar energy, we’re excited to bring this unique project to Fort Bragg,” said Melisa Johns, vice president, Distributed Energy Solutions at Duke Energy, in a statement.

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“This project takes a comprehensive look at the way energy is being used at Fort Bragg and will lead to more efficient energy use and significant cost savings.”

Ameresco, Duke Energy’s prime contractor, will build the facility, while Fort Bragg will own and operate the system once construction is completed.

It will be paired with a 2-megawatt battery energy storage system, and supplement power to the military installation from the local grid, providing backup power during electric service outages.

“We approached Duke Energy with the idea of a floating solar array unsure of how they would respond to the innovative concept,” recalled Audrey Oxendine, Fort Bragg Energy and Utilities Branch Chief. “However, Duke Energy was excited to take on the challenge and work with us to make an idea into reality.”

(Duke Energy also works with the US Marine Corps through a 13-MW facility at Camp Lejeune in Onslow County.)

Floating solar, the future?

Industry experts believe there is great potential in floating solar power.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers estimate that installing floating solar photovoltaics (PV) on the more than 24,000 man-made U.S. reservoirs could generate about 10 percent of the nation’s annual electricity production.

The world’s first installation occurred in Napa Valley, Calif. more than a decade ago. Since then, however, widespread adoption within the United States has been slow.

Interestingly, more are being deployed in other countries, particularly Japan, which has 56 of the 70 largest floating PV installations.

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Currently, floating solar makes up only about 1-2 percent of the world’s solar capacity.

Meanwhile, Duke Energy argues the technology can take advantage of water space that would otherwise go unused – like at Fort Bragg.

North Carolina already is the No. 2 state for producing solar power, trailing only California.

Duke Energy owns 40 solar facilities in NC, including the 80-megawatt (MW) Conetoe Solar Facility in Edgecombe County, the 65-MW Warsaw Solar Facility in Duplin County and the 60-MW Monroe Solar Facility in Union County.