By 2024, Plainfield Township will have one of Michigan’s first solar farms that floats. It’s a move that leads many to question whether or not this is the best course of action.

The Detroit News reported San Francisco-based solar company White Pine Renewables is collaborating with the township to install solar panels on a tiny lake to power the town’s water treatment facility.

The floating solar cells in this pond are intended to take in sunlight and transform it into reusable power. It is located next to the plant on a defunct gravel pit.

White Pine Renewables’s floating solar farm is located within Healdsburg, California and is developing two more in Corcoran and Petaluma.

According to managing associate and co-founder Evan Riley, the firm has two ground-mounted solar installations in Adrian and the Village of Addison in Michigan.

The proposal of utilizing the sun’s energy on a floating platform might seem like an unusual proposal, but it is important to consider the cost of such a project.

As Riley acknowledges, ground-mounted solar projects have lower electricity costs than floating farms. Many are left to ponder why Plainfield Township wasn’t considered for a more conventional and economical installation in light of this fact.

Riley stated, after conducting a site evaluation with the city’s engineering and utility teams, they determined insufficient space near their water treatment facility for a ground-mounted project.

They assessed a floating solar project and discovered, despite its challenging economics, it was still viable.

Cameron Van Wyngarden, the municipality manager, explained the decision, but neglected to talk about the elephant in the room: the cost.

Van Wyngarden stated solar produces a fluctuating amount throughout the year. This functions well with a water plant because we also produce a fluctuating amount of water for customers all through the year, which tends to line up with the seasons.