Solar PV on a Capped Municipal Landfill

Ellen E. Ebner, Tighe & Bond7/26/2012

Project Permitting

■ Conservation Commission– Generally either RDA or NOI depending on site

■ MEPA Request for Advisory Opinion■ MassDEP Post Closure Use Permit

– Pre-application meetings

■ Planning Board Permitting – Generally either Site Plan Approval or Special Permit

■ Interconnection Application

Project Development Process

– Site Planning – slopes, shading infrastructure avoidance

– Geotechnical Engineering – landfill stability, loading, slopes

– Site/Civil Engineering – Access roads, stormwater, landfill gas

– Electrical Engineering – Interconnection design

– Construction Phase

– Public Relations

– O&M

Engineering & Project Completion

Design Considerations

■ Design – Layout & Project Size

– Topography

– Orientation

– Stormwater infrastructure

– Landfill gas infrastructure

– Access road

– Culverts

– Electrical Side Slopes

E

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Design Considerations

■ Loading over Cap

– Cap Design– Ballasts and Solar Arrays– Equipment Pad– Impact to cap– Access during and after Construction

Design Considerations

■ Access Roads– Minimum 3’ Separation from Synthetic Cap Material (FML)– Equipment other than LGP equipment

Design Considerations

■ Stormwater– Arrays and Ballasts

Design Considerations

■ Stormwater– Access Roads

» Maintaining Existing Stormwater Management System– Adding Culverts

» Erosive Velocities

Construction Sequencing

Construction – Site Prep

Construction – Access Roads

Construction - Ballasts

■ Precast versus Cast in Place Blocks

Construction - Racks

Construction - Modules

Construction – Electrical Equipment

Construction – Electrical Equipment

Press and Education

■ Media Day– Boston Globe

– Lieutenant Governor Murray

– MassDEP Commissioner Kimmell

– Easthampton Mayor Tautznik

■ MassDEP Fieldtrip

Operations & Maintenance

■ Typical Closed Landfill O&M– Water monitoring– Settlement/Cap inspection– Gas vent inspection– Stormwater infrastructure inspection– Mowing, vegetation management

■ Solar Array O&M– Panel cleaning as necessary when decreased

production/observed accumulation of dirt– Annual inverter & electrical inspection

Questions

“It’s just awful to look at.”

“Those of us most affected by this aren’t going to

see any benefits.’’

One neighbor “described himself as ‘mildly opposed’ to

the project. He worries that the 5,000-pound concrete blocks that anchor each solar array will puncture the cap of the

landfill, leading to toxic leaks into the ground water or

clouds of methane.”