Everything Solar Forum

"The United States industrial revolution fundamentally reshaped our economy but left behind a legacy of brownfields. Brownfields are lands that are potentially contaminated, underutilized and often neglected. Walk through almost any community in the United States and you will come across a site - an old factory, an abandoned strip mall, a closed landfill, a shuttered coal mine or a decommissioned power plant - where redevelopment, reuse or even just access to it is complicated by its past.

This is no exaggeration: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that there are over 450,000 brownfields across the country. But many of these sites - even those that have sat idle for decades - may have a promising future in supporting the clean energy transition. And now, there are new federal incentives to make this a reality."

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The largest one to date in the USA seems to be this one in Jersey. Largest Landfill Solar Project in North America Completed in Mt. Olive

ON DEC 5, 2022
25.6MW there about's.....

Low hanging fruit really.

Yes, "dirty" locations can be challenging for many reasons. One reason they would not have to deal with is NIMBY. I don't think anyone would object to a low height, no noise operating, replacing an empty long duration noiseally made location. Its overall "new" look and feel is in a way the exact opposite of the very thing that created the spot. 
But yes, I am sure the financial dealings location to location would have allot of nuisances.

Original Message:
Sent: 04-13-2023 02:53 PM
From: Andrew Stone
Subject: Solar Today Article: Inflation Reduction Act Can Turn Brownfields to Brightfields

That's a really nice and hopeful project, William. 

As to low hanging fruit, the extra ITC's are great BUT:

Those landfills tend to be "capped" which makes the standard utility scale single axis backtracking PV's mounting systems more complex:

Normally, a GPS guided post pounder inserts the structural posts - that's the fastest and cheapest mounting technology - for example, Albuquerque based Array Technologies $NASDAQ:ARRY system does it this way.

But in the case of a landfill, pounding a post would perforate the cap so more expensive solutions are required. I have seen a concrete ballasted post design - and we all know concrete is hugely carbon intensive and would add a lot of expense.

In many solar fields, the land is leased for 25-30 years, so the ability to pop the PVs off and pull the posts out make sense - there may be better technologies or even fusion ;-) by then.

 

Andrew Stone, President

NM People's Energy Cooperative

https://PeoplesEnergyCoop.com

Together A Just Energy Transition

¡Sí, hablo Español!

Original Message:
Sent: 4/12/2023 1:40:00 PM
From: william fitch
Subject: RE: Solar Today Article: Inflation Reduction Act Can Turn Brownfields to Brightfields

The largest one to date in the USA seems to be this one in Jersey. Largest Landfill Solar Project in North America Completed in Mt. Olive

ON DEC 5, 2022
25.6MW there about's.....

Low hanging fruit really.

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william fitch
Owner
www.WeAreSolar.com
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