Noria Energy has brought Airon, a U.S.-made floating solar tracker system, to market. Airon is designed to generate more electricity within a similar project footprint and nameplate energy as a fixed-tilt floating system.
The Airon floating solar tracker from Noria Energy.
Noria plans to install its first commercial pilot Airon project in late 2026, in addition to its existing demonstration project, with shipments of its certified commercial product to customer sites expected to start in mid-2027.
“Floating solar can turn underused water surfaces into productive energy assets without competing for valuable land,” said Alex Mayer, CEO of Noria. “With Airon, we are bringing the energy-production advantages of solar tracking to the water – giving customers up to 20% more energy at the same installed cost as a fixed-tilt system. This makes floating solar more productive, scalable and commercially attractive.”
Most floating solar systems use panels installed at a fixed angle. Airon introduces horizontal single-axis tracking to the water, enabling panels to follow the sun throughout the day. Airon builds on established ground-mounted PV-tracker principles, but has been engineered specifically for conditions on water, where equipment must withstand wind, waves, changing water levels and anchoring loads. The tracker uses a low-profile design, passive stabilizers and automatic stowing during severe weather. Contractors can install the system using equipment and construction methods already familiar to solar engineering, procurement and construction companies, without specialized tools.
Airon is being developed for both utility-scale installations and distributed projects supplying electricity to nearby commercial, industrial, agricultural and public-sector customers. Noria has worked in floating solar since 2018, developing and testing its technology through progressively larger pilot projects.
Noria is developing Airon around a domestic supply chain and regional U.S. manufacturing network. Domestic sourcing is also designed to help support customers seeking to comply with applicable U.S. domestic content and foreign entity of concern requirements.
Floating solar remains an emerging U.S. sector, with permitting, insurance and operating standards still developing. But research led by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) found that global floating solar capacity surpassed 13 GW by 2022. NLR also estimates that federally controlled U.S. reservoirs alone could technically support hundreds of gigawatts of floating solar.
News item from Noria Energy
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