Lima, Ohio Completes 2-MW Floating Solar Array on Twin Lake Reservoir

Lima, Ohio, has inaugurated a 2-megawatt (MW) floating solar farm on the Twin Lake Reservoir, the city’s primary drinking-water source. The installation, built by developer D3Energy and contractor ARP Solar, uses more than 3,100 bifacial panels mounted on Ciel & Terre Hydrelio floating platforms anchored to the reservoir’s banks and floor.

Ohio built a floating solar farm on its drinking water reservoir and saved nearly 10 acres of land while cutting $10 million in energy costs Canary Media

Land-based solar projects in Ohio often encounter local political resistance, prompting municipalities to explore water-based alternatives. The Twin Lake system occupies only four acres of water surface, whereas a comparable ground-mounted array would require at least 10 acres. By repurposing existing reservoir space, the city avoids competing for scarce municipal land while addressing the water-treatment plant’s high electricity demand.

Ohio built a floating solar farm on its drinking water reservoir and saved nearly 10 acres of land while cutting $10 million in energy costs

• Capacity: 2 MW, generating clean power for the city’s water-treatment plant.

Ohio built a floating solar farm on its drinking water reservoir and saved nearly 10 acres of land while cutting $10 million in energy costs

• Land-use efficiency: 4 acres of water versus an estimated 10 acres for a ground-mounted system of equal size.

Ohio built a floating solar farm on its drinking water reservoir and saved nearly 10 acres of land while cutting $10 million in energy costs

• Energy demand served: The treatment plant processes 14 million gallons of water daily and is the city’s largest electricity consumer.

Ohio built a floating solar farm on its drinking water reservoir and saved nearly 10 acres of land while cutting $10 million in energy costs

• Financials: Projected lifetime electricity savings of $10 million; funded by a $2.4 million U.S. Department of Energy grant and nearly $1 million in direct-pay tax credits.

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• Timeline: Planning began five years ago; formal authorization by the Lima City Council was approved in 2023; construction completed in 2024.

Ohio built a floating solar farm on its drinking water reservoir and saved nearly 10 acres of land while cutting $10 million in energy costs

• Service area: The reservoir supplies drinking water to 35,000 Lima residents.

Ohio built a floating solar farm on its drinking water reservoir and saved nearly 10 acres of land while cutting $10 million in energy costs

Lima Utilities Director Michael Caprella highlighted that the project leverages an existing asset—the reservoir—to support continuous operation of the water-treatment plant, emphasizing the importance of energy efficiency for a facility that treats 14 million gallons each day. Mayor Sharetta Smith described the effort as a cross-administration success, noting that the initiative reflects sustained leadership and collaboration over several years. D3Energy Managing Director Stetson Tchividjian framed the floating array as a replicable model for municipalities constrained by land availability, stressing that the design delivers clean power while preserving nearly 10 acres of land.

Ohio built a floating solar farm on its drinking water reservoir and saved nearly 10 acres of land while cutting $10 million in energy costs

• “This project allows us to take an asset we already have—our reservoir—and use it in a new way to support the critical work happening at our water treatment plant every day,” — Michael Caprella, Lima Utilities Director.

Ohio built a floating solar farm on its drinking water reservoir and saved nearly 10 acres of land while cutting $10 million in energy costs

• “This project is a great example of what can happen when leadership carries forward across administrations,” — Sharetta Smith, Lima Mayor.

Ohio built a floating solar farm on its drinking water reservoir and saved nearly 10 acres of land while cutting $10 million in energy costs

• “This project shows that clean energy doesn’t have to come at the cost of land,” — Stetson Tchividjian, Managing Director, D3Energy.

Ohio built a floating solar farm on its drinking water reservoir and saved nearly 10 acres of land while cutting $10 million in energy costs

Floating solar offers a land-saving pathway to expand renewable generation, particularly for water-intensive facilities that already occupy large surface areas. By reducing reliance on grid electricity, the Twin Lake array lowers operational costs for the water-treatment plant, translating into taxpayer savings and a smaller carbon footprint. The project also demonstrates how federal incentives—DOE grants and tax credits—can catalyze municipal clean-energy initiatives.

Ohio built a floating solar farm on its drinking water reservoir and saved nearly 10 acres of land while cutting $10 million in energy costs

The system’s eight shore-mounted Yaskawa Solectria XGI inverters will continue to feed power to the plant, while the floating platform design, featuring adaptive mooring lines, will be monitored for durability during seasonal water-level fluctuations. D3Energy plans to promote the model to other Ohio communities facing similar land constraints, potentially accelerating the state’s transition to renewable energy sources.

Ohio built a floating solar farm on its drinking water reservoir and saved nearly 10 acres of land while cutting $10 million in energy costs