Ahead of National Solar Appreciation Day, March 14, Orange County officials gathered to commemorate the one-year milestone for the county’s largest ground-mounted solar array, which is located at the Northwest Water Reclamation Facility in Apopka.

Spanning the length of three football fields, this 2-megawatt solar installation produces power to offset the energy costs of operating the facility by up to 60 percent – a cost savings estimated at $400,000+ a year.

“By repurposing this land for solar, we are successfully harnessing the power of the sun as an energy source, which brings us closer to achieving our sustainability and resiliency goals,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry L.  Demings. “The future looks bright here in Orange County.”

Additional speakers at the ceremony included District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson and Chief Sustainability and Resilience Officer Carrie Black, who both endorsed the technology as a renewable energy solution to defer costs at county facilities.

Orange County Utilities Director Ed Torres noted that the facility recycles wastewater to create reclaimed water for irrigation. “When it came to adding solar to what we do here, our team wholeheartedly embraced the potential as a win-win,” he added.

Aligned with Orange County’s Sustainable Operations & Resilience Action Plan, the project complements the county’s goal of achieving 100% clean, renewable energy by 2035.

It joins the growing portfolio of solar investments by Orange County, including the largest floating solar array in the Southeast, which was energized in early 2024.

For more information about Orange County’s solar initiatives, visit www.ocfl.net/SolarArrays.