New solar farm set to fully power Walt Disney World’s daytime needs
Adding to three other solar arrays near Disney property in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, the company’s newest solar installation has pushed its Walt Disney World Resort over the proverbial solar tipping point.
Energized in late April, the 74.5 MW facility takes up about 484 acres in Levy County, Florida, about 130 miles northwest of Walt Disney World itself. Constructed and now operated by Levy County-based Bronson Solar and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, the site helps Disney diversify its solar energy procurement to multiple areas of the Sunshine State.
Not only that, but Disney Parks & Resorts representatives say the new site makes a fully solar-powered Walt Disney World a reality.
“At Walt Disney World in Florida, on a sunny day in spring or summer, together four solar projects now can produce up to 100% of the daytime power needs of the entire resort – spread across four theme parks, two water parks, dozens of hotels, and more,” the company says. “This new facility joins Walt Disney World’s fan-favorite ‘Hidden Mickey’ solar array, a 5,000-kilowatt installation shaped like Mickey Mouse near EPCOT, along with other large solar projects across Florida.”
Allowing Disney World’s parks, hotels, and auxiliary buildings to operate on solar power would be equivalent to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 140,000 metric tons, the company says. That amount of energy could also power the company’s monorail system for 34 years.
Power Disney World, and Disney worldwide
The Walt Disney Company has made a point in recent years to turn to more renewable energy sources, with the company setting a lofty goal of net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2030. Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California also sports a 400 kW rooftop solar project, which the company says produces energy for its Radiator Springs Racers, based on the ‘Cars’ film franchise.
Alongside its U.S. solar installations, the entertainment giant has installed rooftop and carport solar systems at its three Asian sites in Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
And in Europe, Disneyland Paris sports the largest solar canopy plant on the continent. Producing 36 GWh each year, the massive carport covers more than 11,200 parking spaces and produces enough energy to power a town of more than 17,400 people.
The company has also taken its renewable energy installations to its cruise liners. Representatives say the firm has two installations at its Bahamas cruise destinations, Lookout Cay and Castaway Cay. In total, the installations provide about 3.9 MW of solar power.
But for now, the Floridian sites may be the company’s most consequential installations to date.
“In total across four sites, (Walt Disney World) now has 212,000 kilowatts of solar capacity, with over 600,000 solar panels — generating roughly enough energy to power over 19,000 Florida homes for one year,” say officials from Disney Experiences. “On a bright spring or summer day, together these projects can now produce up to 100% of the resort’s daytime power needs, helping support one of the largest vacation destinations in the world.”
