Category: Floating Solar
Short Description: Tracking FPV system increasing energy output by up to 20%
Location: Golden, CO
Type of Project: Floating Solar
Products Used: Hazelett Elastic Mooring Systems
Details of Installation: Enables rotating FPV arrays with controlled movement and reduced peak loads.
Challenges Overcome: Dynamic loading from rotating arrays and need for precise positioning.
Collaborators (who was involved): Noria Energy, GRID Alternatives

The Noria Energy Floating Solar Tracker – Aurea Solar Project is a high-visibility floating solar pilot in Golden, Colorado, designed to demonstrate how next-generation floating PV can do more than simply occupy water surface area. Public reporting identifies Aurea Solar as a 50 kW floating solar pilot installed on Fairmount Reservoir for the Consolidated Mutual Water Company, with the system intended to generate renewable power for onsite water utility operations, specifically pumps that help regulate water supply. Public sources also describe it as the first U.S. floating solar project to incorporate scalable solar tracking on water, making it an important test case for the future of floating clean energy infrastructure.

Golden sits about 15 miles west of Denver and is part of a regional innovation corridor that includes the Colorado School of Mines, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and a concentration of clean tech companies. For a project like the Aurea Solar Project, that regional backdrop strengthens the story: this is not only a reservoir-based solar pilot, but a renewable energy installation being deployed in one of Colorado’s most credible technology and energy ecosystems.

Consolidated Mutual Water Company serves an estimated 100,000 people across roughly 24 square miles of central Jefferson County through a 400-mile pipeline network. That means the  Aurea Solar Project is tied to real-world utility operations, in a setting where reliability, controlled performance, and long-term asset stability matter because the reservoir supports a working water system.

From a technical standpoint, the project stands out because Noria’s AquaPhi system rotates floating solar islands to follow the sun across the sky. Noria says this approach can increase energy production by 10% to 20% compared with fixed floating solar, using underwater thrusters and control systems to maintain positioning and orientation throughout the day. That creates a more advanced operating environment than a conventional static FPV array. Instead of anchoring a system that stays largely fixed, the Aurea Solar Project requires a mooring approach that can accommodate controlled movement while preserving alignment, limiting drift, and helping the tracker perform as intended.

The project’s main engineering challenge becomes especially relevant for a mooring manufacturer. Based on the client brief, the biggest obstacles were dynamic loading from rotating arrays and the need for precise positioning. Those two challenges are directly connected. When a floating array is designed to rotate over the course of the day, force directions and load behavior can change as the platform moves, responds to wind, and interacts with the water surface. In a system like the Aurea Solar Project, the mooring solution has to do more than hold the array in place. It has to allow controlled movement, reduce peak loads, and support repeatable tracking behavior without compromising reservoir operations or system stability. Public project reporting also specifically identifies Hazelett Marine as the provider of mooring expertise for ensuring integrity and stability on the reservoir.

The project also carries broader value beyond pure energy production. Public sources describe floating solar as a space-efficient option for water utilities, with the added benefit of reducing evaporation. That dual-use story is especially strong here because Aurea Solar is being deployed on existing water infrastructure, turning a working reservoir into an energy-producing asset while supporting the mission of a domestic water provider. For Hazelett, the Aurea Solar Project is a case study of how elastic mooring systems can support emerging floating solar applications where movement is not a problem to eliminate entirely, but something to manage intelligently.

The collaboration behind the project adds another layer of significance. Public reporting names Noria Energy, GRID Alternatives, Hazelett Marine, and DOE national laboratories among the participating organizations. GRID Alternatives says the project also creates hands-on clean energy job opportunities for local workers, which gives the Noria Energy Floating Solar Tracker – Aurea Solar Project a workforce and community benefit story in addition to its technical and environmental value.

• 50 kW floating solar pilot system
• Located on Fairmount Reservoir in Golden, Colorado
• Designed to power onsite water utility pumps
• First U.S. floating solar project publicly described as using scalable solar tracking on water
• Tracking system is reported to increase energy output by 10% to 20% compared with fixed floating solar
• Public reporting said commissioning was targeted for September 2025

• Golden is about 15 miles west of Denver
• Golden is home to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado School of Mines, and other clean tech employers
• Consolidated Mutual Water Company serves an estimated 100,000 people
• CMWC’s service area spans about 24 square miles
• CMWC operates through a 400-mile pipeline network

The Aurea Solar Project demonstrates how floating solar is evolving from a niche concept into a smarter infrastructure solution for utilities that need both clean power and efficient use of existing water assets. For Hazelett, this project highlights the value of elastic mooring in a demanding application where the array must stay controlled, stable, and precisely positioned while still being free to move as the tracking system operates. As floating PV expands into more performance-driven utility environments, projects like Aurea Solar help demonstrate that mooring design is not a secondary detail. It is a core part of making advanced floating solar work.