SolarBee®

   Fresh Water  

   Potable Water          

   Wastewater

   Industrial Applications

   Specifications

   Case Studies/

   Testimonials

 News Articles

   Videos  

   Photos

News Articles

From the Water and Wastewater Newsletter / www.waterandwastewater.com on August 22, 2005:

Solar Bee : Blue-Green Algae Bloom Control

Dickinson, ND -- Since first installed for lake restoration in 2000, SolarBee solar-powered reservoir circulators have consistently controlled and prevented blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms in more than 100 water bodies throughout North America. By circulating epilimnetic waters, blue-green algae lose their preferred habitat of stagnant waters and are consequently out-competed by non-blue-green algae.

Unlike the toxic and inedible blue-green algae, zooplankton and fish will consume diatoms and greens, moving these beneficial algae up the food chain both materially and energetically. Typically, water clarity improves as the lake ecosystem becomes healthier.

The scientific community has appreciated the ecological importance of mixing for at least several decades. Previous research has shown that artificially-induced mixing can cause species shifts from buoyant cyanobacteria to algal communities dominated by diatoms and green algae.

More recently, an experimental study demonstrated that sufficient water column mixing can shift the competitive balance between buoyant and sinking phytoplankton in a predictable manner. These peer-reviewed studies confirm what has been observed with SolarBee-induced circulation in ponds, lakes and reservoirs disrupting the blue-green algae habitat prevents blooms and restores lake ecosystems without having to control phosphorus or nitrogen inputs.

SolarBees accomplish this goal without destratifying the whole lake, without bringing up oxygen-depleted bottom waters, and without any land-based energy requirements. Furthermore, SolarBees can be scaled to any size water body - with the largest unit capable of preventing noxious blooms in lakes up to 45 surface acres, and more units added proportionally with larger lakes and reservoirs.

In freshwater lakes and reservoirs, the SolarBee solves problems of blue-green algae, taste and odor, and release of iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide from bottom sediments. In stormwater ponds and recreational lakes, the SolarBee can provide algae control and improve the overall water quality, enhancing the environmental, aesthetic, and recreational value.