Installed By: Greenskies Renewable Energy Project Size: 1.103 MW

DCE Solar Provides Superior Foundation with Zero Ground Penetration

Overview

As the first of five landfill sites in the Meriden, Connecticut area planned for conversion to a solar field, excellent results in terms of budget, performance, and environmental safety were a must.

Greenskies Renewable Energy knew that there could be no compromise on quality or compliance with procedures for capping the existing landfill space and installing the array of 3,672 panels.

Meriden Landfill

The Challenge

AS WITH ALL LANDFILL SITES that are decommissioned, the Meriden site was outfitted with a rubber cap and overplanted with controlled vegetation. Penetration of the rubber capping would allow waste gases into the air, and allow for possible contamination of nearby groundwater. So traditional ground mount systems would not be allowed.

A BALLASTED GROUND SYSTEM that could deliver maximum performance with a minimum weight profile was required for this sensitive installation.

The Solution

DCE SOLAR’S CAP-RACK SYSTEM was designed specifically for landfill sites. The innovative design allowed Greenskies to minimize the weight while maintaining the required load through the system’s unique high friction ground coefficient with the incorporated ribbed ballast tray.

Meriden Landfill

BECAUSE OF THE CAP-RACK’S preassembled design, the assembly cost was minimum in a high labor market further improving the project’s ROI.

The Results – Clean Energy Made Possible with Zero Negative Impact 

DUE TO THE COST EFFICIENCIES and successful installation on the first Meriden landfill site, Greenskies has an easily repeatable process for its other target sites. When completed, all five array sites combined will produce 4.9 megawatts of clean energy.

EXCELLENT ECONOMIES OF SCALE were made possible by being able to obtain racking systems appropriate for all sites at the same time. Unlike pour in place ballasted systems, Cap-Rack’s precast ballast block method is easier to install and does not require costly clean up of concrete slurry.

WITH NEARLY 4,000 SOLAR PANELS being used on this first site alone, the yield is enough to power nearly 150 homes. When all five installations are complete, that number should triple to just under 500 homes.

Meriden Landfill