Blooloop first reported that Universal Epic Universe has brought a 1.4 MW floating solar system online, with the array now operating as part of Universal Orlando's wider renewable-energy programme. For readers following the future Universal United Kingdom Resort near Bedford, the significance is that Universal is already building power generation, storage and transport infrastructure into a new park's operating model rather than treating it as an afterthought.

The floating system is one of three on-site solar installations at Epic Universe, which together total 3.7 MW and are expected to generate more than 6.7 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. That electricity is used to support the park's electric bus fleet, with energy stored in batteries during the day and then used to charge the buses at night.

How the new array works

That setup matters beyond Florida because it shows how a major theme park can tie together on-site generation, battery storage and electric transport in one system. For Bedford readers, the link to Universal United Kingdom Resort is not a confirmed project plan; it is an inference that this is the sort of infrastructure Universal may be willing to build into a brand-new resort if the company applies the same approach elsewhere.

A fit for nighttime entertainment

Universal Orlando is also promoting Universal Celestial Goodnight, a new nightly spectacular in Celestial Park at Epic Universe. The park's solar-and-battery setup sits neatly alongside that kind of after-dark entertainment, even though Universal has not said the show and the energy system are directly linked.

D3Energy says this is its second floating solar project for Universal Orlando, after a system completed in 2021. The company also says Qcells managed the overall solar programme, while D3Energy delivered the floating solar portion.

What remains unconfirmed is whether Universal plans anything similar for the future Universal United Kingdom Resort. For now, the clear takeaway is that Epic Universe is already operating with a sizeable renewable-energy setup, and that makes the Orlando park a useful indicator of how Universal may think about energy, batteries and guest transport at its next major development.