Solar Farms at WDW

[Nick]

Earlier this year, Origis Energy USA and Reedy Creek Improvement District announced a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for a 50 MWAC solar facility to be constructed in Orange County, Florida. Once complete, the solar facility developed, built, and owned by Origis Energy, will generate approximately 120,000 megawatt hours of power each year and provide clean energy to the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

“We’re excited to begin work on a new solar facility as part of our ongoing responsibility to oversee land use and environmental protections within the district,” said John Classe, District Administrator of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. “This project will significantly enhance our renewable energy abilities and create new environmental opportunities in the future.”

The solar facility will be located on approximately 270 acres in Orange County, Florida, near Disney;s Magnolia Golf Course. The Origis Energy designs call for the use of single axis tracking technology, approximately 518,000 solar panel modules and will interconnect to the Reedy Creek Improvement District power distribution system. The project will create up to 300 jobs during construction, which is anticipated to start by late spring 2018 and be completed by year end 2018.

“We are honored to assist the Reedy Creek Improvement District leadership team realize their vision for the use of utility scale clean energy,” said Johan Vanhee, Managing Director, Operations and Business Development of Origis Energy. “Florida is our company’s home state as well. We commend the Reedy Creek Improvement District on the deployment of more solar energy in the Sunshine State.”

Origis Energy to Build New Solar Facility at the Walt Disney World Resort

 

[Nick]

This Solar Farm will actually be pretty significant compared to the Mickey Head one which was mostly for publicity. At 270 acres, it will be the ninth largest solar farm in the United States.

New Solar Facility to Generate Power for Two Walt Disney World Theme Parks - Blog Mickey

 

[Nick]

NY Times article from the other day about this solar facility: The Magic Kingdom Is Going Green - The New York Times

 

[tielo]

This is so sad, destroying a huge piece of nature to under-use the area with a Mickey head. Disney has a ton of warehouses where they could add solar panels on. They could do as Lego land does and cover those huge parking lots adding some much needed shade and turn every parking lot in a power-plant, but the mouse isn't interested in the environment clearly.

 

[Nick]

This is so sad, destroying a huge piece of nature to under-use the area with a Mickey head. Disney has a ton of warehouses where they could add solar panels on. They could do as Lego land does and cover those huge parking lots adding some much needed shade and turn every parking lot in a power-plant, but the mouse isn't interested in the environment clearly.

If you think this is sad, then you’ll be even more sad to find out that this is a hell of a lot bigger than the pictured Mickey Solar Farm in that tweet. That one is pretty small, tbh.

I agree though that they should’ve used they’re large parking lots for good, though. However, I can see why Disney wouldn’t want to. They redo their parking lots often enough that it would be a worry to put such expensive equipment over top.

 

[shiekra38]

This is so sad, destroying a huge piece of nature to under-use the area with a Mickey head. Disney has a ton of warehouses where they could add solar panels on. They could do as Lego land does and cover those huge parking lots adding some much needed shade and turn every parking lot in a power-plant, but the mouse isn't interested in the environment clearly.

You mean shade for the parking lot, and solar power? Too logical

 

[tielo]

You mean shade for the parking lot, and solar power? Too logical

 

[GAcoaster]

The problem with the solar power in the parking lots is security (harder to keep an eye on things from above) and idiot drivers running into the supports.

 

[Doug A.]

Last time I checked there are an abundance of showbuildings on property that are ripe for a solar panel installation. Less intrusive for sure and doesn’t take up environmental space. Just musing about this is all.

 

[GAcoaster]

They could also use floating solar arrays like MCO is doing. There are several bodies of water that could use them:

 

[Nick]

They could also use floating solar arrays like MCO is doing. There are several bodies of water that could use them:

Now THIS would make sense (although I would worry how it would handle hurricanes).

 

[Nick]

Here's an enlarged version of one of the above photos to really capture the scope of this solar field:

 

[s8film40]

The problem with the solar power in the parking lots is security (harder to keep an eye on things from above) and idiot drivers running into the supports.

The actual truth is the the problem is this actually isn’t Disney building a solar farm. Although they’re quick to take credit for it it’s RCID doing this and so needs to be built on their land as opposed to WDW owned land.

 

[Nick]

The actual truth is the the problem is this actually isn’t Disney building a solar farm. Although they’re quick to take credit for it it’s RCID doing this and so needs to be built on their land as opposed to WDW owned land.

RCID has built and paid for all three Disney Springs garages though... is that not "WDW owned land"? Or is it because that was a infrastructure project it didn't matter?

 

[s8film40]

RCID has built and paid for all three Disney Springs garages though... is that not "WDW owned land"? Or is it because that was a infrastructure project it didn't matter?

Yeah Disney sold them the land prior to construction. They’re essentially just like any other municiple public parking garage.

 

[Nick]

 

[Nick]

Two New 75MW Solar Farms to be built on top of the existing Mickey Solar Field and the huge one out by Western Way.

Disney World to Develop Two New Solar Facilities; Power Up to 40% Of Theme Park and Resort Total Energy Needs

Walt Disney World news, photos, and reviews! We provide you with daily news from the Walt Disney World theme parks and beyond

blogmickey.com

 

[tielo]

Why not cover the parking lots at WDW like they did at Paris. It's better than cutting a forest to build a solar farm.

 

[GAcoaster]

Why not cover the parking lots at WDW like they did at Paris. It's better than cutting a forest to build a solar farm.

Except then people crash into the supports and it cuts into the number of parking spaces.

 

[Nick]

Except then people crash into the supports and it cuts into the number of parking spaces.

And when people crash into the posts, that mean people will file frivolous lawsuits against Disney and that's something they'd have to deal with a lot. Not to mention it means they can no longer reconfigure their parking lot if they do that, which is something they do quite a bit.