A disused New Hampshire landfill could soon become the site of a 2.2MW solar farm thanks to a partnership between the town of Derry and US energy company Encore at zero cost to local taxpayers.
Solar panels. Credit: LukVFX / Shutterstock
Credit: LukVFX / Shutterstock
If successful, the project could highlight the potential for disused industrial areas and brownfield sites as potential hubs for renewable energy, making land use in towns and cities across the US more space-efficient and saving the town itself around $3.5 million in energy bills annually.
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Derry, New Hampshire, as a local authority, had pledged to have all of its electricity generated through renewable energy by 2025, and the project could meet a significant amount of this goal. It is currently contracted to go on for 25 years.
Encore is set to foot the bill for the entire project, which is estimated to cost $5 million. It will also be paying $20,000 per year for the 7-acre plot of land to the town.
Construction is expected to commence in 2023. When finished, it will be the third-largest wind project in the entire State.
”Moving forward with this solar project is a major win for our community and our state,” said Joshua Bourdon, Derry Town Councilor-at-Large and founder of the town's Net Zero Task Force (NZTF).
“I ran for re-election with a promise to reduce our taxes while maintaining services through creative solutions. Achieving Net Zero Energy through the efforts of the Task Force and Derry Public Works Dept. contributed to that creative solution", he added.
“This project is the culmination of 6 years of planning and engineering work", according to NZTF Chairman Jeff Moulton.
“In advance of this project, the Task Force benchmarked the energy use of all 40 town and school buildings, implemented a number of energy initiatives that are currently saving the Town over $900,000/year".
In 2018, Derry installed an 86-kW solar project at the Town’s transfer station, which Moulton claims is exceeding its targets.
The task force brings together a number of people and institutions in the town, including schools, planning boards, conservationists and members of the public.
Encore was selected among seven candidates back in September 2021. The company claims the site will be designed to allow for expansion in the future.
The company specialises in converting landfills and brownfield sites into renewable energy generators. By converting them, additional space is not taken away from local communities, which can be used for other purposes, such as building housing or infrastructure.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates brownfield development could increase surrounding property values by anywhere between 5-15%.
Developing traditionally undervalued or ignored properties such as landfills is part of the "DNA of the company", according to Encore CEO Chad Farrell.
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“We’re excited to bring our deep expertise in the reuse of landfills as host sites for community-scale solar arrays to Derry to help support the community’s transition to the clean energy economy".
- For more information about the project, see the project page on Encore's website.
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