COA Wants To Convert Landfills Into Solar Farms (Atlanta, Jackson: 2014, city hall)

[LynnHarris]

"For years, the city's now-closed landfills have done nothing but sit idle and emit methane. Now, more than 30 acres of city-owned property, including those former trash heaps and parts of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, could be converted into solar farms.

City Hall officials are considering a proposal to lease up to 32.9 acres of public land to a private company that would install, maintain, and operate solar panels on the properties. The effort has the potential to be one of metro Atlanta's largest public solar energy programs..."

Full Story: Atlanta wants landfills turned into solar farms | News Feature | Creative Loafing Atlanta

[arjay57]

According to the Loaf:

New Generation Power Inc., a Chicago-based energy company, recently won the City Hall proposal and would cover all costs related to the solar farming project.

Atlanta wants landfills turned into solar farms | News Feature | Creative Loafing Atlanta

I thought these guys were the backup band for Prince. When did they get into the landfill business?

[flyonpa]

Just what we need for the planes landing @ ATL

//www.city-data.com/forum/aviat...ing-glare.html

[demonta4]

So that's what that solar mountain on Moreland was.

[Psykomonkee]

I like the idea... However, I hope it's done on the active landfills.

I hope they start turning the unused landfills into city parks like Virginia Beach did for Mount Trashmore Park Mount Trashmore Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[bogans]

The one on Moreland is a privately owned landfill and has nothing to do with city of Atlanta. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the city doesn't actually run any active landfills anymore. Almost all waste is deposited into privately owned landfills.

Also Mount Trashmore was opened in the 70's before many of the regulations that we have today were in affect. A C&D landfill could probably be turned into a park the day it closed, however the landfills that the city of Atlanta owns cannot. Regulations require the site to flare off methane produced for at least 20 years after closure. The site has to basically sit there producing methane and leachate for years before it is allowed for any other development. Until the land can be used for something else it will just sit there not collecting any revenue. Putting solar plants on these sites is an excellent way to recoup some money from a site that otherwise requires monthly grass mowing, and environmental monitoring.

Lastly, the pilots complaining about the solar plants are complaining about a different type of solar plant which uses mirrors and concentrated solar power to heat fluid that run turbines. This would be something completely different as it would just be PV solar cells. Completely not comparable.

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by flyonpa

Just what we need for the planes landing @ ATL

//www.city-data.com/forum/aviat...ing-glare.html

Mind you, I know nothing about this topic except for what I just read. I fly quite a bit so I was curious. It appears to be a valid potential problem:

"...Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems could potentially cause interference with aircraft operations if reflected light beams become misdirected into aircraft pathways..."
Solar Energy Development Environmental Considerations

However, it does seem the glare is an easy enough problem to prevent by using photovoltaic instead of solar-thermal technology:

"...There are two common ways to convert solar energy into electricity: photovoltaic and solar-thermal technologies. Photovoltaic systems consist of wafers made of silicon or other conductive materials. When sunlight hits the wafers, a chemical reaction occurs, resulting in the release of electricity. Solar-thermal technologies concentrate the sun's rays with mirrors or other reflective devices to heat a liquid to create steam, which is then used to turn a generator and create electricity..."
Non-Hydroelectric Renewable Energy | Clean Energy | US EPA


I was surprised to read that landfills (even without the solar energy technology) are considered a threat to air commerce:

"...(1) collisions between aircraft and birds have resulted in fatal accidents;
(2) bird strikes pose a special danger to smaller aircraft;
(3) landfills near airports pose a potential hazard to aircraft operating there because they attract birds..."
49 USC 44718: Structures interfering with air commerce

Who would have thunk it? Birds are a bigger problem. In my opinion, since the landfills are already there, we may as well multitask them.