A Floating Solar Array You Can Disconnect and Secure Before the Storm
FloatSolar platforms are designed around a quick-disconnect shore connection and independent anchoring, so a storm-securing sequence can be reviewed and rehearsed with your installer well before hurricane season.
Why a Fixed, Monolithic Array Is a Storm Liability
Many floating solar installations are built and wired as a single continuous structure spanning the entire pond or lake surface. That approach can simplify construction, but it also means there is no practical way to isolate part of the array from the electrical system, and no way to address one section of the structure without affecting the rest. When a named storm is approaching, a facility owner with a fixed, monolithic array is left with few options beyond hoping the anchoring and wiring hold.
FloatSolar takes a different approach at the design level. Platforms are kept under 60 feet and anchored independently of one another, so an array covering a pond is actually a set of discrete, separately anchored units rather than one continuous raft. That segmentation is a structural design choice, reviewed per site with your engineer of record, and it is also what makes a section-by-section securing sequence realistic in the first place.
A Quick-Disconnect Shore Connection, by Design
The electrical link between a FloatSolar platform and the shore-side equipment is designed to be broken deliberately, in the field, using wet-location rated twist-lock disconnects at the shore connection point — including Hubbell 20A and 30A, 30Y 120/208V devices. These are the same class of connector used elsewhere in wet-location electrical work, chosen here specifically because they can be mated and de-mated by hand without special tools.
Consistent with standard PV labeling practice, disconnect points and associated conductors are labeled "WARNING: PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SOURCE" and "CAUTION SOLAR CIRCUIT," so anyone working at the shore connection — whether that's your maintenance crew, an electrician, or first responders — can immediately identify an energized PV circuit before touching it.
The exact disconnect hardware, conductor sizing, and labeling scheme are confirmed per project with your electrical contractor and reviewed against the site's specific interconnection design; nothing here substitutes for that site-specific electrical design work.
The Securing Sequence, at a High Level
A pre-storm securing sequence is designed to be straightforward enough that facility staff can execute it with advance notice of an approaching storm, working with your installer's site-specific plan:
- Isolate each platform's shore connection at the wet-location twist-lock disconnect, de-energizing that section of the array.
- Confirm anchoring hardware and tether condition for each independently anchored platform, per the site's anchoring plan.
- Where the site design calls for it, reposition or add slack to platforms to account for expected surge and wave action, reviewed with your installer for the specific water body.
- Document the pre-storm state of each platform and disconnect point for post-storm inspection.
This is a description of design intent, not a promise of a specific completion time or a specific storm outcome. The actual sequence, crew size, and timing for your site should be developed with your installer and documented before hurricane season.
Multiple Independent Platforms, Not One Monolithic Raft
Under 60 Feet, Independently Anchored
Each platform is kept under 60 feet and anchored on its own, rather than relying on a single anchoring system for an entire array spanning a whole pond. That approach is also relevant to how the array's anchoring is reviewed on a pond such as those discussed on our retention pond solar page, where water level fluctuation is already part of the anchoring design conversation.
Segmented Risk, Not Eliminated Risk
Building an array as multiple independent units means a problem with one platform's anchoring or connection does not necessarily propagate to the rest of the array. It does not mean any platform is immune to storm conditions — every claim about performance in a storm should be reviewed against the specific site, water body, and anchoring design.
Where the Engineering Documentation Stands
Structural and anchoring documentation to support hurricane-belt siting is currently in development with a licensed Florida professional engineer. We are not publishing a completed, project-specific PE-stamped engineering package on this page, and we do not make any wind-rating or storm-survivability claim for the platform.
What we can say is that the disconnect hardware, labeling approach, and platform segmentation described above reflect current design intent, and that we expect to make more formal engineering documentation available as it is completed. In the meantime, any site-specific storm design question should be reviewed with your installer and, where structural sign-off is required, with a licensed engineer for your jurisdiction.
Why This Matters to Owners and to Insurability Conversations
For owners of ponds, lakes, and reservoirs in Florida and other hurricane-belt states, the question of what happens to a floating array before, during, and after a storm is a legitimate part of project due diligence — alongside the anchoring and structural questions covered on our retention pond page and the manufacturing questions covered on our made-in-USA page. Being able to describe a specific, reviewable disconnect and securing plan — rather than simply asserting the array will be fine — is the kind of documentation many owners want to have on hand when they talk to their insurance agent or risk manager.
We are not able to tell you what your insurer will do with that information, and we do not claim any premium or coverage outcome. What we can offer is a design built around isolation and segmentation, and documentation of that design that you can bring into your own insurance and risk conversations.
Planning a Hurricane-Belt Installation?
Tell us about your site and we'll walk through the disconnect design, anchoring approach, and what documentation is available today versus what's still in development.
Talk to Our TeamFrequently Asked Questions
Can a floating solar array be disconnected before a hurricane?
FloatSolar platforms are designed to be electrically isolated from shore power using wet-location twist-lock disconnects at the shore connection point, so the array can be de-energized as part of a pre-storm securing sequence reviewed with your installer for the specific site.
What connectors does FloatSolar use for the shore disconnect?
The shore connection is designed around wet-location rated twist-lock disconnects, including Hubbell 20A and 30A, 30Y 120/208V devices, labeled "WARNING: PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SOURCE" and "CAUTION SOLAR CIRCUIT" per standard PV labeling practice. Exact device selection is confirmed per project with your electrical contractor.
Does FloatSolar guarantee a specific wind rating?
No. We do not publish a wind rating for the platform, and any wind or storm-load claim should be treated with caution industry-wide. Structural and anchoring performance depends on site-specific engineering, water body geometry, and anchoring design reviewed for your location.
Will a disconnectable array lower my insurance premium?
We do not make insurance claims or promise a discount. A documented, site-specific electrical isolation and securing plan may be a useful piece of information to share with your insurer or agent, but any outcome is between you and your insurance carrier.
Does this remove the need for permits?
No. A quick-disconnect design is an electrical and structural feature, not a permitting exemption. Local building and electrical permits and utility interconnection approval still apply regardless of how the array is secured. See our permitting overview for what applies to a given site.
Is a FloatSolar array one giant structure or several platforms?
FloatSolar arrays are built from multiple platforms, each kept under 60 feet and anchored independently, rather than as a single monolithic structure spanning the entire water surface. That segmentation is part of why each platform can be addressed and secured individually ahead of a storm.
Is the hurricane securing procedure engineered and stamped by a PE?
Structural and anchoring documentation for storm securing is in development with a licensed Florida professional engineer. A completed, project-specific PE-stamped package is not yet available for every configuration; ask your installer what documentation applies to your site and project stage.