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A solar landfill, also referred to as a brightfield, [1] 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. [2] 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. [3]
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. [5]
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. [6] 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. [7] [8]
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 [9] 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. [10]
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. [11] 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. [12]
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. [13]
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.
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.
Brownfield is previously-developed land that has been abandoned or underutilized, and which may carry pollution, or a risk of pollution, from industrial use. The specific definition of brownfield land varies and is decided by policy makers and land developers within different countries. The main difference in definitions of whether a piece of land is considered a brownfield or not depends on the presence or absence of pollution. Overall, brownfield land is a site previously developed for industrial or commercial purposes and thus requires further development before reuse.
A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste materials. It is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of waste with daily, intermediate and final covers only began in the 1940s. In the past, waste was simply left in piles or thrown into pits.
Environmental technology (envirotech) is the use of engineering and technological approaches to understand and address issues that affect the environment with the aim of fostering environmental improvement. It involves the application of science and technology in the process of addressing environmental challenges through environmental conservation and the mitigation of human impact to the environment.
According to data from the US Energy Information Administration, renewable energy accounted for 8.4% of total primary energy production and 21% of total utility-scale electricity generation in the United States in 2022.
This is a glossary of environmental science.
The environmental impact of electricity generation from wind power is minor when compared to that of fossil fuel power. Wind turbines have some of the lowest global warming potential per unit of electricity generated: far less greenhouse gas is emitted than for the average unit of electricity, so wind power helps limit climate change. Wind power consumes no fuel, and emits no air pollution, unlike fossil fuel power sources. The energy consumed to manufacture and transport the materials used to build a wind power plant is equal to the new energy produced by the plant within a few months.
Brockton Brightfield in Brockton, Massachusetts is a solar power plant in New England. Consisting of 1,395 photovoltaic panels on a 3.7-acre (1.5 ha) site, it has a maximum output of 425 kilowatts. It was officially opened on October 26, 2006, on the site of the former Brockton Gas Works.
Renewable energy in Canada represented 17.3% of the Total Energy Supply (TES) in 2020, following natural gas at 39.1% and oil at 32.7% of the TES.
New Jersey has over 4,700 MW of installed solar power capacity as of January 2024, which provides more than 7% of the state's electricity consumption. The's state's growth of solar power is aided by a renewable portfolio standard that requires that 22.5% of New Jersey's electricity come from renewable resources by 2021 and 50% by 2030, by incentives provided for generation of solar power, and by one of the most favorable net metering standards in the country, allowing customers of any size array to use net metering, although generation may not exceed annual demand. As of 2018, New Jersey has the sixth-largest installed solar capacity of all U.S. states and the largest installed solar capacity of the Northeastern States.
Land recycling is the reuse of abandoned, vacant, or underused properties for redevelopment or repurposing.
The Brisbane Baylands is a 660-acre (270 ha) parcel of land in Brisbane, just south of the San Francisco border. There have been several proposals to develop the site, which was previously used as a railyard and a municipal landfill; historical uses have led to contaminated soil, polluted stormwater runoff, and potential buried toxic waste. None of the present proposals have been approved by Brisbane's city council.
Brownfields are defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as properties that are complicated by the potential presence of pollutants or otherwise hazardous substances. The pollutants such as heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contaminating these sites are typically due to commercial or industrial work that was previously done on the land. This includes locations such as abandoned gas stations, laundromats, factories, and mills. By a process called land revitalization, these once polluted sites can be remediated into locations that can be utilized by the public.
Climate change has had a number of impacts on the US state of Montana. Heat waves are becoming more common, snow is melting earlier in the spring, and trees are dying as a result of drought, forest fire, and increased prevalence of forest insects. In the next few decades in Montana, climate change is most likely to impact water availability, agricultural yields, and wildfire risk. State and local governments have taken legislative steps, such as establishing a renewable energy portfolio and creating climate action plans, to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Solar power in New Zealand is increasing in capacity, despite no government subsidies or interventions being available. As of the end of April 2024, New Zealand has 420 MW of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) solar power installed, of which 146 MW (35%) was installed in the last 12 months. In the 12 months to December 2023, 372 gigawatt-hours of electricity was estimated to have been generated by grid-connected solar, 0.85% of all electricity generated in the country.
Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) is a public agency in Atlantic County, New Jersey, that is responsible for enhancing quality of life through the protection of waters and lands from pollution by providing responsible waste management services.
While being a major oil producing country, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken steps to introduce solar power on a large scale. However, solar power still accounts for a small share of energy production in the country. The country was the 6th top carbon dioxide emitter per capita in the world in 2009, with 40.31 tonnes, but is planning to generate half of its electrical energy by 2050 from solar and nuclear sources, targeting 44% renewables, 38% gas, 12% coal, and 6% nuclear energy sources.
In 2013, renewable energy provided 26.44% of the total electricity in the Philippines and 19,903 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electrical energy out of a total demand of 75,266 gigawatt-hours. The Philippines is a net importer of fossil fuels. For the sake of energy security, there is momentum to develop renewable energy sources. The types available include hydropower, geothermal power, wind power, solar power and biomass power. The government of the Philippines has legislated a number of policies in order to increase the use of renewable energy by the country.
The Buffelsdraai Community Reforestation Project was initiated in 2008 to alleviate climate change impacts associated with hosting elements of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Durban. The proposed carbon offset was to be achieved through the planting of more than 500 000 indigenous trees within the buffer zone of the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site. Restoring the forest ecosystem was identified as a way of "absorbing event-related greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing the capacity of people and biodiversity to adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change".
The desert-covered Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the geographically largest country in the Middle East. Moreover, it accounts for 65% of the overall population of the GCC countries and 42% of its GDP. Saudi Arabia does not have a strong history in environmentalism. Thus, as the number of population increases and the industrial activity grows, environmental issues pose a real challenge to the country.
The Tasmanian Environmental Protection Authority is an independent regulatory body of the Tasmanian Government responsible for the environmental protection and management in the state of Tasmania, Australia. The EPA's primary role is to independently monitor, regulate, and enforce environmental laws and regulations to ensure the protection of Tasmania's natural resources and ecosystems.