Lima's Reservoir Now Powers City With Floating Solar

Lima, Ohio, has significantly advanced its energy efficiency and environmental sustainability with the recent launch of a floating solar array on the Twin Lakes Reservoir. This four-acre, two-megawatt system, situated at 1100 E. Wayne St., now powers the city's water treatment plant, a facility that previously accounted for nearly $1 million in annual electricity costs.

The initiative, conceptualized in 2019, is the third floating solar array in Ohio and serves approximately 27,000 water accounts. The project, a collaboration between the City of Lima, Power Clean Future Ohio, and D3Energy, incurred a cost of $2 million, offset by $2.5 million in grant funding. It is projected to deliver electricity savings of $10 million over its 15- to 20-year lifespan.

Beyond energy and cost savings, the floating array offers substantial environmental benefits. It conserves water by minimizing reservoir evaporation and inhibiting algae growth. Furthermore, the system occupies only four acres, a considerably smaller footprint than traditional ground-mounted solar installations, freeing up land for other potential uses. The array is also expected to offset over 2,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.