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Chapter 2. Landfill Solar Rhode Island Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Ch. 2 Figure 8. Rigid Panel PV Mounts with Row Spacing Indicated Adapted from Prweb.com 2012.
2.3.4 Pressure on Landfill Cap
Excessive weight loads associated with the construction and maintenance of a PV system can compromise the performance of a landfill cap by leading to puncture of the cap, excessive
settlement, side slope instability, and erosion Sampson 2009; EPA and NREL no date. Loads may come from the PV structure itself, or from snow, wind, and seismic loads. In addition,
construction and maintenance vehicles can temporarily increase loads on a landfill cap. 2.4 Landfill Site Suitability
Landfills, like other types of brownfield sites, are often considered attractive locations for siting renewable energy facilities. Many landfill sites are physically suited for solar
development: Landfills generally contain open acreage with unobstructed access to sunlight. Landfill sites generally have few owners and can be adequately zoned for solar development.
Critical infrastructure, such as electric distribution lines and roads, is often already in place or proximate. However, not all landfills meet these conditions. Furthermore, the primary purpose of
all landfills is to keep disposed waste separated from the surrounding environment. Any secondary reuse of the property, such as recreation, or, in this case, solar power generation,
should not jeopardize the landfills primary purpose. Therefore, determining whether a landfill is compatible with solar development requires consideration of existing site conditions.
2.4.1 Current Use
The principal factor affecting the suitability of a landfill for solar energy development is the current use of the landfill. Many former landfills have been repurposed for other uses such as
athletic fields, industrial and commercial areas, and composting facilities. For landfills currently
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occupied by some other type of passive or active use e.g. recreation, the appropriate stakeholders must evaluate the relative merits of preserving the current use or redeveloping the
site for solar electricity generation.
2.4.2 Location
