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  • 1.  Solar Today Article: Inflation Reduction Act Can Turn Brownfields to Brightfields

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 04-11-2023 10:58 AM

    "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."

    Read more...



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    Kat Friedrich
    Editor in Chief
    ASES
    Monona WI
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  • 2.  RE: Solar Today Article: Inflation Reduction Act Can Turn Brownfields to Brightfields

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 04-12-2023 10:40 AM

    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

    Solar Brownfield



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    william fitch
    Owner
    www.WeAreSolar.com
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  • 3.  RE: Solar Today Article: Inflation Reduction Act Can Turn Brownfields to Brightfields

    ASES Life Member
    Posted 04-13-2023 02:53 PM
    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
    Together A Just Energy Transition
    ¡Sí, hablo Español!











  • 4.  RE: Solar Today Article: Inflation Reduction Act Can Turn Brownfields to Brightfields

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 04-14-2023 09:21 AM

    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.



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    william fitch
    Owner
    www.WeAreSolar.com
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