50 MW Solar Farm at WDW

[OKW Lover]

Drove past this site yesterday (8/30) and just about all the needed land clearance seems to be done. They've also started to install the stanchions (posts) on which the solar collectors will be mounted.

 

[OKW Lover]

Another update after driving by this site a few days ago (actually Sunday, 10/14). It looks like just about all the stanchions are installed now. Didn't see any actual panels on any of them but obviously that's coming soon.

 

[WiredForFlight]

Great to hear it is coming a long. I wish there was more solar on building roofs and what not at Disney, lots of open space that could be used and still keep out of site so not to spoil the theme (or visible at Epcot where it would be good in some place for the theme). Same with electric charging, especially at Epcot parking where it would be more in line with the theme.

 

[rteetz]

Great to hear it is coming a long. I wish there was more solar on building roofs and what not at Disney, lots of open space that could be used and still keep out of site so not to spoil the theme (or visible at Epcot where it would be good in some place for the theme). Same with electric charging, especially at Epcot parking where it would be more in line with the theme.

Disney is building more solar farms on property. They already have two.

 

[WiredForFlight]

Disney is building more solar farms on property. They already have two.

Right, I am thinking less farms and more decentralized utilizing rooftop space.

 

[hertamaniac]

Right, I am thinking less farms and more decentralized utilizing rooftop space.

I agree, but the buildings need to be able to support the infrastructure of the PV panels. Of course, new(er) buildings with an adequate footprint could take advantage of this renewable energy source.

 

[OKW Lover]

Drove by the site on Thursday, 11/1, and saw a substantial portion of the solar panels have been installed. Happened to drive by at night the day before and much work was going on under work lights so it looks like there is some push to get this project on line..

 

[Bing Showei]

it looks like there is some push to get this project on line..

Makes sense to get your ducks in a row before putting in the Millennium Falcon with its Class 0.5 hyperdrive.

 

[Disco]

Wow, that is a lot of acreage for so little energy output. I wish they would only build solar installations where they make sense. They are probably doing more overall damage to the environment in order to just to get some good PR.

 

[OKW Lover]

Wow, that is a lot of acreage for so little energy output.

True. I can't imagine how much energy a modern combined cycle gas turbine installation would provide on this site.

 

[hertamaniac]

Wow, that is a lot of acreage for so little energy output. I wish they would only build solar installations where they make sense. They are probably doing more overall damage to the environment in order to just to get some good PR.

It is a massive footprint for sure and I'm confident the PR is definitely part of the charter for the project.

What it should offer is a sustainable energy source. I expect in a few decades, there will be a press release saying the Disney will be upgrading the panels to a new "ultra" efficient design so long as they have the cables in place, now, to handle the projected higher output.

 

[HuskieJohn]

True. I can't imagine how much energy a modern combined cycle gas turbine installation would provide on this site.

On this site you would not be able to install a gasser due to the many retention ponds that the panels are being installed around.


Personally I roll my eyes at them cutting down all the trees to put up these panels.

 

[OKW Lover]

On this site you would not be able to install a gasser due to the many retention ponds that the panels are being installed around.

Thanks. I guess I don't understand what the retention ponds have to do with the land use. There's apparently plenty of non-retention pond space. Obviously the panels aren't erected on the ponds.

 

[OKW Lover]

Apparently ready to start producing electricity soon: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-cfb-solar-lawsuit-20181219-story.html

 

[RRB]

update - http://blogmickey.com/2018/12/aeria...solar-farm-installation-at-walt-disney-world/

 

[George4]

From the 2017 annual report, the peak demand for Reedy Creek Energy Services was 190.8MW. More important, however, was the annual energy consumed which was 1,159,605 mwhrs. That same report says the solar farm will generate about 120,000 mwhrs per year, or about 10% of the RCES annual energy requirement. The 120,000 seems high to me, as it represents a capacity factor of over 27%. (120,000 /8760 / 50). In any event even at that capacity factor, you would need about 10 solar farms to generate the entire annual energy requirement of RCES. The problem, however, is the solar farm(s) would not generate the power at the same time as it is needed, for example, they would generate 0 at night but there is still some load to be served. You still need to be connected to the grid to take your excess and provide power when the solar farm(s) are not generating. Or a stack of batteries that might stretch all the way to the airport.

mac_tlc

Then again, its highest generation time is when the system would have the highest draw time for things like A/C, which uses far more power than the evening lights. PR or not, this is a positive step for Disney (lowers the ongoing fuel cost and use related to energy generation), and it leaves them with only a maintenance cost for 10-20% of the electrical use. That's a pretty impressive saving OVER TIME. This is one of the few times that I have thought Disney was thinking 5,10 or 20 years down the road. The best part of this is what someone else referenced, if the technology improves to more efficient cells, the infrastructure is already there to support just switching out the panels.

 

[hertamaniac]

Peak demand (reference the typical duck curve) was surely part of the design for this farm. However, without a storage mechanism I do not see optimum efficiency for brown/black outs and/or overnight where the energy requirements, I suspect, will be far less.

So the question I have is this farm going to have a supplemental storage system or will it be direct tied with only on/off functionality? I do expect the design to have parsing capability based on load requirements.

 

[mac_tlc]

Then again, its highest generation time is when the system would have the highest draw time for things like A/C, which uses far more power than the evening lights. PR or not, this is a positive step for Disney (lowers the ongoing fuel cost and use related to energy generation), and it leaves them with only a maintenance cost for 10-20% of the electrical use. That's a pretty impressive saving OVER TIME. This is one of the few times that I have thought Disney was thinking 5,10 or 20 years down the road. The best part of this is what someone else referenced, if the technology improves to more efficient cells, the infrastructure is already there to support just switching out the panels.

A kwhr is a kwhr, regardless of when its consumed, however, I would suspect that there is a high coincidence between RCES's peak load and the peak output of the solar farm. As stated in the 2017 annual report, the peak is 190MW. The solar farm is 50MW. If there were 100% coincidence (meaning the system's peak electrical load occurs at the same time as the peak output of the solar farm), then the solar farm is providing almost 26% of the system needs. However, that would be for that one hour only. I don't know when RCES's peak occurs, but I do know that not all Florida utilities have experienced their peak load in the summer.

mac_tlc

 

[OKW Lover]

According to several news reports, this facility is now on line. Its interesting to drive by at various times of the day an see the panels facing the sun for the best efficiency.

 

[jade1]

According to several news reports, this facility is now on line. Its interesting to drive by at various times of the day an see the panels facing the sun for the best efficiency.

Yea did they say it will cover 2 parks completely each full year?

That seems a tad hard to believe, but awesome if so.

The 5MW farm can power Splash Mt for a year, yet a 50MW can power 2 entire parks for a year?

Wouldn't 2 parks use more than 10 Splash Mt's?