VIDEO NEWS: 3.5MW Solar Development at Rehabilitated UK Landfill

Waste and recycling company, Viridor – a part of the Pennon Group (LSE: PMM) has been awarded planning permission for its first ever solar PV development at its closed Landfill Site at Westbury, Wiltshire. The company explained that the Westbury landfill site took its last volumes of waste in 2004 and it is now fully restored to grassland. The Solar Park will be constructed in two phases covering 10 hectares in total, and once fully operational it is expected to generate 3.5MW of renewable energy - enough energy to power 1120 homes. “The location and design of the scheme, adjacent to the existing cement plant and clay pit, means the character of the area will not change and the current grassland/grazing can remain and continue to support the local biodiversity,” explained Marcus Du Pree Thomas, Viridor’s development manager. “The electricity generation infrastructure is already in place as it has been used for energy generation for many years,” he added. Work to install the panels is expected to commence in early 2014, with the Park generating power from spring 2014. Viridor said that it is now reviewing all of its sites in the South East and South West of the UK to assess the viability of further solar schemes. Read More Solar Landfills: the Future? Landfill solar energy covers are now starting to be taken more seriously following the installation at a site in Texas, US. A new project in Georgia now aims to go one step further and convert a 35-acre landfill into one of the world’s largest solar covers. Mark Roberts looks at the advancements in geomembranes and cost and practical considerations for landfill owners. Navigating the Solar Process on Landfills Amy McDonough, a solar energy project developer, explains why solar energy installations are growing in popularity with landfill owners. 3 MW Solar Landfill Dedicated in New Jersey New Jersey's oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G), has joined the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) and SunDurance Energy to dedicate the Kearny Landfill Solar Farm.