Solar arrays on a full landfill in Rehoboth, MA

A solar landfill, also referred to as a brightfield, 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 become known as brightfields[1]. In the United States, there are more than 10,000 closed or inactive landfills, which have the potential to accommodate over 60 gigawatts of solar installations[2].

Development

"Brightfield" landfill solar developments by year in megawatts

In 2021 local governments in the United States announced 21 landfill solar projects with a total capacity of 207 MW (megawatts) nameplate capacity.

In 2023 the largest solar landfill completed construction in Houston, Texas. The 50 MW solar array was installed on a 240-acre site that was previously an incinerator and landfill closed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1974.[3]

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.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "U.S. Landfills Are Getting a Second Life as Solar Farms". TIME. June 2, 2022.
  2. ↑ "The Future of Landfills is Bright". RMI.
  3. ↑ "How a Houston Solar Project Empowered a Working-Class Neighborhood". Playmakers.
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