PHOTOTIME NC AQUARIUM PLUS

As part of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the Fort Fisher Aquarium is subject to this commitment. This would be accompanied by a new exhibit about climate change mitigation and the importance of energy resiliency in the face of more extreme weather.Įxecutive Order 80, signed in October 2018 by Governor Roy Cooper, requires state agencies to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent% below 2005 levels by 2025. The pond at the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher will be one of the many features visible from a new four-story rooftop deck currently in design by architect Szostak Design, meaning the Aquarium’s more than 450,000 annual visitors will be able to see the new floating solar installation from a new vantage point. The combination of floating solar with battery electric storage modeled by NCCETC would provide 24 percent of the facility’s energy consumption, educational opportunities, water quality benefits, research opportunities, heat island reduction, and resiliency in the face of increasing storm events. They evaluated the best locations for a solar installation, including rooftop, parking lot canopies, and floating solar while considering a range of sizes to optimize the system’s energy performance and financial payback. Staff from NCCETC’s Clean Power & Industrial Efficiency program conducted a technical and financial feasibility analysis to assess the potential for solar photovoltaic (PV) based on the space available. The Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology is also assisting NCCETC and the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher as a research partner to help build on the body of knowledge about this emerging technology and contribute to best practices in design and installation. While floating solar is still a newer technology, it’s not new to North Carolina- the military base on Fort Bragg is home to the state’s first floating solar installation, completed May 2022. “The partnership with NCCETC has revealed incredible opportunities for our facility, our animals, and our community.” “The aquarium and our staff are committed to a more sustainable future and being leaders in our community,” shared Hap Fatzinger, Director of the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. The Aquarium at Fort Fisher first partnered with NCCETC after receiving a grant from the NC Aquarium Sustainability Fund.

The proposed design concept has a unique feature: the solar installation will float on top of a pond located behind the Fort Fisher Aquarium, taking advantage of underutilized land while allowing for cooling of the solar panels which improves efficiency.

PHOTOTIME NC AQUARIUM PLUS

The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) at NC State University is working with the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher to evaluate the feasibility of an innovative solar plus energy storage installation to improve both the sustainability and the resiliency of the aquarium.

Phototime nc aquarium