Solar landfill

{{Short description|Landfill site converted into a solar power station}}

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File:Faria 000102 153913 493502 4578 (35502216424).jpg in Rehoboth, MA]]

A solar landfill, also referred to as a brightfield,{{cite web | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/energyinnovation/2017/08/10/solar-brightfields-gigawatts-of-clean-energy-potential-on-americas-landfills-and-brownfields/ | title=Solar Brightfields: Gigawatts Of Clean Energy Potential On America's Landfills And Brownfields | website=Forbes }} is a former landfill site that has been transformed into a solar array or solar farm. Landfills that are no longer in use are often called brownfields due to potential environmental concerns. By repurposing these brownfields into solar fields, they then become brightfields.{{cite magazine |last1=Barone |first1=Emily |title=U.S. Landfills Are Getting a Second Life as Solar Farms |url=https://time.com/6183376/landfills-becoming-solar-farms/ |magazine=TIME |date=2 June 2022 }} In the United States, there are more than 10,000 closed or inactive landfills. These have the potential to accommodate over 60 gigawatts of solar installations.{{cite web | url=https://rmi.org/insight/the-future-of-landfills-is-bright/ | title=The Future of Landfills is Bright }}

Development

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File:NUMBER OF RE-POWERING PROJECTS BY STATE.webp renewable projects by State as of November 2023

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The largest solar landfill completed its construction in Houston, Texas in 2023. The 50 MW solar array was installed on a 240-acre site that was previously an incinerator and landfill decommissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1974.{{cite web | url=https://communityplaymaker.com/discoveries/how-a-houston-solar-project-empowered-a-working-class-neighborhood/ | title=How a Houston Solar Project Empowered a Working-Class Neighborhood }}

Landfill sites are often suitable locations for solar farms due to their existing infrastructure, including access roads, electric utilities, and systems for using landfill gas. Additionally, these sites are elevated and devoid of objects that could obstruct solar irradiance.{{cite web | url=https://energytech.com/renewables/article/21275410/where-trash-turns-into-treasure-the-future-of-solar-on-landfills | title=Where Trash Turns into Treasure: The Future of Solar on Landfills | date=12 October 2023 }} Constructing solar projects on landfills may have the added benefit of not requiring the developer to build on or disrupt existing ecosystems, such as would be the case if the project were to be sited on an area that requires clear-cutting.{{cite web | url=https://governing.com/now/why-arent-more-solar-farms-built-on-municipal-landfills | title=Why Aren't More Solar Farms Built on Municipal Landfills? | date=2 March 2023 }}{{cite news |last1=Simon |first1=Julia |title=In some fights over solar, it's environmentalist vs. environmentalist |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/06/18/1177524841/solar-energy-project-location-debate |work=NPR |date=18 June 2023 }}

In order to be approved to site a solar project on a brownfield, most states require a measure of rehabilitation to be conducted on the land, including the disposal of on-site hazardous materials{{cite web | url=https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/site-cleanup/brownfield-and-state-superfund-programs/brownfield | title=Brownfield Cleanup Program - NYDEC }} as well as ecological restoration such as the introduction of native species, improving the resiliency of the land and ensuring that a stable ecosystem is maintained.{{cite web | url=https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/Featured-Stories/Transforming-Brownfields-for-a-Greener-Future | title=Transforming Brownfields for a Greener Future }}

Environmental impact

Solar projects sited on brownfields can help mitigate environmental hazards associated with landfill sites by covering and sealing the waste, preventing further contamination of soil and groundwater, and reducing methane emissions through the capture of landfill gas. By repurposing landfills for solar development, previously unusable land can be reclaimed for a productive purpose, reducing the need for new land development and preserving natural habitats.

Prior to development, landfills may require extensive site preparation, including capping, grading, and soil remediation, to ensure the stability and suitability of the land for solar installation. This work has the added benefit of protecting the surrounding ecosystem from the potentially harmful materials within the landfill.

While solar farms' impact on wildlife is a hotly debated topic, in many cases, the benefits provided by rehabilitating a landfill in order to site a solar landfill may outweigh the negative effects posed by the existence of a solar farm.{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1525/cse.2018.001123 | doi=10.1525/cse.2018.001123 | title=Best Practices in Responsible Land Use for Improving Biodiversity at a Utility-Scale Solar Facility | date=2018 | last1=Sinha | first1=Parikhit | last2=Hoffman | first2=Beth | last3=Sakers | first3=John | last4=Althouse | first4=Lynnedee | journal=Case Studies in the Environment | volume=2 | pages=1–12 }} Not only does the conversion of landfills into solar farms reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to renewable energy generation, but also repurposes previously unusable land and mitigates environmental hazards associated with abandoned landfill sites.{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500165 | doi=10.1038/sj.jea.7500165 | title=The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS): A resource for assessing exposure to environmental pollutants | date=2001 | last1=Klepeis | first1=Neil E. | last2=Nelson | first2=William C. | last3=Ott | first3=Wayne R. | last4=Robinson | first4=John P. | last5=Tsang | first5=Andy M. | last6=Switzer | first6=Paul | last7=Behar | first7=Joseph V. | last8=Hern | first8=Stephen C. | last9=Engelmann | first9=William H. | journal=Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology | volume=11 | issue=3 | pages=231–252 | pmid=11477521 | s2cid=22445147 }}

While capping a landfill serves to mitigate exposure to waste products, there are some potential downsides to this process. One issue is that capping the landfill may seal off microbiomes in the soil, which are often home to diverse species of fungi and bacteria that thrive in the landfill environment, potentially leading to biodiversity loss through the partitioning of the two ecosystems. {{cite journal | url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37126164/ | pmid=37126164 | date=2023 | author1=Morita AKM | last2=Sakamoto | first2=I. K. | author3=Varesche MBA | last4=Wendland | first4=E. | title=Effects of capping on microbial populations and contaminant immobilization in an old unlined landfill | journal=Environmental Science and Pollution Research International | volume=30 | issue=26 | pages=68548–68562 | doi=10.1007/s11356-023-27311-8 | bibcode=2023ESPR...3068548M | s2cid=250232441 }}

A potential route to combat biodiversity loss is to utilize the mitigation hierarchy to ensure that proper measures are taken to offset any impacts caused by development.

Challenges

Regulatory Compliance: Solar development on landfills must adhere to stringent environmental regulations and permitting requirements to address concerns related to soil contamination, habitat disruption, and public health.

Technical Considerations: Solar installations on landfills may face technical challenges related to land subsidence, soil settlement, and ground stability, requiring specialized engineering and construction techniques to ensure the long-term viability of the project.

Economic Considerations: Developing solar projects on closed landfills presents unique economic challenges due to specialized engineering requirements and complex regulatory processes, leading to higher upfront costs that may need additional incentives to ensure project viability. https://cluin.org/download/studentpapers/Solar-Power-Installations-on-Closed-Landfills-Sampson.pdf

Solar landfill

Development

Environmental impact

Challenges

See also

References

Further reading