Florida Aquarium and TECO partner on new solar rooftop

BDG Architects is proud to partner with downtown Tampa’s The Florida Aquarium to design the innovative 7,500 sf event deck canopy showcasing the potential of solar energy. In collaboration with TECO Energy, the curved canopy structure and solar panel array will provide new options for Aquarium events as well as integrating the story of the solar installation into their education programs. BDG Architects continues to dedicate our practice to provide design solutions that address the challenges of utilizing renewable energy alternatives to create sustainable, resilient and socially responsible projects.

Tampa Bay Business Journal

The Florida Aquarium will soon harvest the power of the sun as partner TECO installs a new solar-powered rooftop and canopies.

"We were faced with the opportunity to refresh or upgrade our existing canopy structures over two habitats," Florida Aquarium COO Andy Wood told the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

The aquarium initiated the conversation with TECO nearly a year ago about installing solar panels for the habitats — the coral reef habitat, which houses the sand tiger sharks and where guests can dive in the tank, and the new Heart of the Sea exhibit, along with other projects. The solar panels would be above the entrance of the tanks. In addition to the canopies, there will also be a solar panel roof on the outside pavilion that overlooks Tampa Bay as well as a small exhibit to educate guests on solar energy.

"The Florida Aquarium has been thinking about solar energy for years and now this allows us to take that step," Wood said.

The project is estimated to cost roughly $3 million, according to the aquarium. The cost includes the solar panels, installation, refurbishing the canopies, the solar energy exhibit and large roof structure. In total, there may be roughly 1,140 solar panels installed. A city permit was filed for the project on Dec. 9. Construction is expected to start in January, TECO spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs said. It's projected to be completed in fall 2020. The project development team includes Oklahoma-based Manhattan Construction Co. as the general contractor and Tampa-based BDG Architects.

Read more about this project in today’s Tampa Bay Business Journal.