What D3Energy does

D3Energy is a U.S.-based floating photovoltaic (FPV) solar developer that designs, builds, and operates utility-scale floating solar systems on water bodies including drinking water reservoirs, quarry lakes, irrigation canals, cooling ponds, and wastewater treatment ponds. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Hialeah Gardens, Florida, the company targets organizations whose energy needs are co-located with underutilized water assets — primarily electric utilities, municipal water districts, government and defense agencies, universities, and large private enterprises. The company self-identifies as having constructed the most floating solar systems in the United States and operates across more than 30 states plus a project in New Zealand.

The company's technical foundation is Ciel & Terre's Hydrelio® floating platform, a patented HDPE-based modular system that supports standard PV panels on water without excavation, requires no heavy equipment for installation, and is fully recyclable with a 25+ year design life. D3Energy wraps this hardware with full EPC delivery (anchoring, electrical design, environmental assessment, commissioning), proprietary SolarSkin branding overlays for visually customized arrays, and a recurring O&M service line covering asset management, monitoring, preventive and corrective maintenance. The system is engineered for durability in extreme weather, with documented survival of Hurricane Milton in Florida.

The business model is B2B enterprise project sales, executed through direct field sales to utilities, municipalities, and government buyers, supplemented by strategic channel partnerships: Ameresco for engineering co-development, Gardner Capital for project financing and ownership via power purchase agreements, and Ciel & Terre for technology and supply chain. Revenue is generated across four streams — project development services, one-time EPC contract revenue, recurring O&M subscriptions, and financing/lease structures. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by system capacity, water-body type, and financing structure, with multi-year contracts. The company is founder-owned, has not disclosed external equity funding rounds, and grows by reinvesting project cash flow into new deployments.

Name

D3Energy

Legal name

D3Energy

Website

https://d3energy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

D3Energy is a U.S.-based floating solar developer that designs, builds, and operates floating photovoltaic systems on reservoirs, cooling ponds, and water treatment facilities for electric utilities, municipal water districts, government and defense agencies, universities, and large private enterprises across 30+ U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Floating Solar Development & EPC Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar PV Power Plant EPC (Utility-Scale) (EUAEAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Solar Balance-of-Plant EPC (Piles/Foundations, Trenching, Combiner Networks) (EUAEADAJ)

Keywords

• Floating solar development
• Solar EPC services
• Solar operations maintenance
• Renewable energy projects
• Floating photovoltaic systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Hialeah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Project Development: D3Energy develops floating solar projects from feasibility studies through financial viability analysis, tender procurement, planning, grid-connection application, and overall project coordination.
2. Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC): Full EPC services including floating solar design, R&D innovation, anchoring systems, electrical design, environmental impact assessment, industrial & quality process, on-site training, production, sourcing, project management, installation, and commissioning.
3. Operations & Maintenance: Ongoing O&M services including asset management, monitoring & reporting, preventive and corrective maintenance for installed floating solar systems.
4. Financing Solutions: D3Energy offers lease agreements, third-party financing capabilities, direct investment capabilities, and due diligence services. Partnered with Gardner Capital and other solar investors for system ownership and operation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

D3Energy develops, builds, and operates utility-scale floating photovoltaic (FPV) solar projects across the United States, deploying Ciel & Terre's patented Hydrelio® platform on reservoirs, cooling ponds, irrigation ponds, and wastewater treatment facilities. The company delivers full project lifecycle services—feasibility, project development, Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC), and ongoing Operations & Maintenance (O&M)—alongside lease, third-party financing, and direct investment solutions for utility, municipal, government, and large commercial customers.

Product overview

D3Energy is America's leading floating solar developer offering a comprehensive suite of services organized around three core offerings: Floating Solar Development (project origination and design), Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC), and Operations & Maintenance (O&M). The company distributes and deploys Ciel & Terre's Hydrelio® patented floating technology and offers financing services including lease agreements and third-party investment. Notable projects include systems for utilities (Duke Energy, Orlando Utilities), municipalities, universities, and commercial clients. The company also offers SolarSkin branding technology for custom array aesthetics. D3Energy operates across multiple U.S. states and internationally, with projects ranging from 10kW microgrids to 6MW systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Floating Solar Project Development Full-cycle development of floating photovoltaic (FPV) projects on reservoirs, cooling ponds, retention ponds, irrigation ponds, and wastewater facilities, including feasibility studies, financial viability analysis, tender procurement, planning, grid-connection applications, and project coordination. Customers include electric utilities, municipalities, government agencies, defense installations, large enterprises, and universities.
• Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) Turnkey EPC services for floating solar projects, covering floating PV design, R&D innovation, anchoring systems, electrical design, environmental impact assessment, industrial and quality processes, on-site training, production, sourcing, project management, installation, and commissioning. Delivered to utilities, municipalities, government, and commercial customers.
• Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Recurring O&M services for installed floating solar systems, including asset management, monitoring and reporting, preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance, and curative maintenance. Sold to owners and operators of FPV assets across utilities, municipalities, and commercial sites.
• Floating Solar Financing Services Financial solutions for floating solar deployments, including lease agreements, third-party financing, direct investment capabilities, and due diligence services. Structured to enable project completion for customers who do not wish to own the system outright.
• SolarSkin Branded Panel Overlay

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces evaporation from reservoirs, saving approximately $10 million over project lifetime (Lima project)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and major.

• Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 May 2026D3Energy signed a master lease with FDOT to serve as the exclusive developer of floating solar systems on FDOT retention ponds statewide. This exclusive arrangement enables deployment of floating solar across Florida's extensive state-controlled water infrastructure, potentially covering all FDOT stormwater ponds.
• Ciel & TerrecoreTechnology or IntegrationExclusive manufacturing partner and technology licensor for Hydrelio® floating solar systems. Ciel & Terre is the pioneer of floating photovoltaic solutions with patented technology holding 90%+ global market share. D3Energy uses this technology exclusively in all floating PV projects, benefiting from proven and bankable solutions with 1,400+ MWp installed in 30+ countries.
• AmerescocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerD3Energy collaborated with Ameresco on multiple flagship projects including Fort Liberty (1.1MW with Tesla battery) and Signal Hill, Utah. Ameresco provides engineering and energy solutions expertise for co-development of complex floating solar installations.
• Vector GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Vector Group (Vector PowerSmart) for New Zealand's Rosedale Wastewater Treatment Plant project - delivering both New Zealand's first and largest PV system of any kind at 1.1MW.
• Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with OUC for multiple projects including Orlando International Airport, Gardenia Facility, and FDOT Conway (2MW - largest in Southeast U.S.). OUC provides utility infrastructure and power grid access for floating solar deployments.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Swinerton Renewable Energy: Large US solar EPC contractor delivering utility-scale PV projects nationwide. Comparable as a competitor for utility-scale solar EPC contracts, though without a floating solar specialty.
• ENGIE Solar: Global utility-scale renewable developer with growing floating solar projects in Asia and other markets. Comparable as a large-scale solar developer pursuing FPV opportunities, though FPV is a small slice of its portfolio.
• Ameresco: US-listed renewable energy EPC and energy services firm. Co-develops flagship floating solar projects with D3Energy (Fort Liberty, Signal Hill). Comparable as a partner and partial competitor for large-scale renewable EPC, though Ameresco's portfolio is much broader than FPV.
• Mortenson Construction: Major US renewable energy EPC contractor with extensive utility-scale solar PV portfolio. Comparable as a utility-scale solar EPC serving similar investor-owned utility customers, though focused on ground-mount rather than floating.

Direct peers

• Ocean Sun: Norway-based floating solar developer using membrane-based FPV technology for reservoirs, hydro dams, and aquaculture ponds. Directly comparable as a pure-play FPV developer targeting utility and water infrastructure customers, though focused on EMEA/APAC markets.
• Ciel & Terre: French pioneer and global market leader in floating photovoltaic systems. Ciel & Terre develops and manufactures the Hydrelio® platform that D3Energy exclusively deploys in the US. Directly comparable as a global FPV developer/EPC, though Ciel & Terre owns the underlying IP.
• Swimsol: Austria/Maldives-based floating solar developer focused on tropical island microgrids and lagoon deployments. Comparable as a pure-play FPV developer with utility-adjacent customers, but with a much narrower geographic and use-case focus.

Emerging players

• SolarisFloat: Brazilian/Portuguese floating solar company developing FPV projects on hydroelectric reservoirs and aquaculture ponds. Comparable as an FPV-only developer targeting water infrastructure, though operating primarily in Latin America.
• Yellow Tropus: India-based floating solar developer focused on FPV deployments on industrial water bodies, irrigation reservoirs, and municipal water treatment plants. Comparable as a pure-play FPV EPC targeting similar municipal/utility customers, but regionally focused on India.

Others

• Gardner Capital: Solar-focused investment firm with 100+ MW under ownership that partners with D3Energy on project financing and ownership (e.g., Del-Co Water). Comparable as a project finance partner and potential competing capital provider, but not an EPC competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about D3Energy