The first US floating solar tracker pilot kicks off in Colorado

Colorado is about to see the US’s first floating solar tracker project hit the water.

Noria Energy has started construction on Aurea Solar, a 50 kW floating solar pilot in Golden, Colorado, that will use trackers. The project will power local water utility operations at the Fairmount Reservoir, which is owned and operated by the Consolidated Mutual Water Company (CMWC).

The system is built with Noria’s new floating solar tracker technology, AquaPhi. Unlike conventional floating solar arrays, which are static, AquaPhi rotates the solar islands so the panels follow the sun. That tracking ability boosts energy output by 10-20%. AquaPhi can be added to new projects or retrofitted onto existing floating solar sites to improve performance.

Floating solar is gaining attention as a cost-effective way to generate renewable energy while saving space. For water utilities, the benefits are twofold: generating clean power on existing reservoirs and reducing water loss through evaporation.

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The Golden pilot is the first in the US to use high-performance solar tracking on water, giving a glimpse of how reservoirs nationwide could double as energy producers. At Fairmount Reservoir, the array will power onsite pumps that regulate water supply for the utility’s customers.

“[This project is an exciting opportunity to] not only produce and conserve energy, but also to improve our water supply by reducing how much is lost to evaporation,” said Jarod Roberts, CMWC’s chief of water resources.

Noria is working with GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit that provides renewable energy access and workforce training, and Hazelett Marine, which supplies mooring solutions for floating solar systems.

The 50 kW project is scheduled to come online in September 2025, when it will support CMWC’s mission to deliver clean, safe, and reliable water to more than 100,000 customers in the greater Denver area, while demonstrating the potential for floating solar tracking across the country.

Read more: EIA: Solar and wind leave coal in the dust with record 2025 output

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