FUTURE ASPECTS SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION ON CLOSED LANDFILLS

A landfill site is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment. This paper presents an examination of the current complications to placing solar systems on closed landfills while also providing applications for additional study in the area of landfill and contaminated lands development. The recent push to develop renewable energy resources has already led to a few conflicts, as plans for large-scale solar installments raise concerns about impacts to wildlife habitat. Development of contaminated lands in general and closed landfills in particular for the placement of renewable energy is a relatively new and growing practice. This paper examines the current nature of solar energy developments on closed landfills using the following focal areas: (1) solar power system considerations with respect to landfill applications, (2) landfill technical and engineering considerations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) Center for Program Analysis is encouraging the reuse of contaminated lands, including properties with closed landfills, for siting clean and renewable energy facilities. Contaminated lands encompass sites that are undergoing remediation or have completed remediation under various cleanup programs, such as Superfund and brownfield sites.