Turning a Former Landfill Site into a Solar Farm
"Brownfields into Brightfields"
Now THIS is a good idea: building a solar facility atop an old landfill.
Dateline -- Boone County, IL (near Rockford): “(On December 09, 2024, local officials) cut the ribbon of the newly finished community solar farm that was once a landfill owned by Boone County and operated by Belvidere.” (1)
“Roughly 36% of the power generated by the 9,600 solar modules (on the 34 acre site) will be used by Boone County for county facilities that support public health and safety and other services. The rest can be used by subscribers in the community.” (1) Nice!
I say (with a smile) that Boone is a pioneer.
But it’s not the only one.
“Brightfield projects are cropping up in places like Urbana, Illinois; Annapolis, Maryland; Edison, New Jersey; and Martha’s Vineyard. The State of Michigan is repurposing state properties and lands for renewables use, transforming two former mining properties into large-scale solar systems. Ann Arbor and Pittsfield Township brokered an aggregation deal for a 24 MW landfill solar project that will offset all of Pittsfield Township’s municipal electricity and enable Ann Arbor residents to subscribe and lower their energy costs.” (2)
“Brownfield projects are becoming increasingly ambitious. In Columbus, Ohio, a 50 MW brightfield system is in the works while a 70 MW Houston solar farm is planned on a 240-acre landfill that will power 12,000 homes and an electric vehicle charging point, a bio-digester, and a community garden.” (2) (Heh. Houston is getting a quad-fecta – if there is such a thing! Love it!)
Sure as heck beats chewing up prime farmland!
Sources:
(1) https://www.wifr.com/2024/12/10/former-belvidere-landfill-becomes-solar-energy-farm-community-use/
(2) https://solarbuildermag.com/projects/undeniable-value-developing-solar-on-brownfields-and-landfills/
Background:
https://cleanpower.org/gateway.php?file=2022/08/ACP_FactSheet_Brownfields_220830.pdf
https://solarbuildermag.com/projects/undeniable-value-developing-solar-on-brownfields-and-landfills/
https://betterenergy.org/blog/advancing-low-impact-solar-development-on-brownfields/