The York County Solid Waste Authority (YCSWA) announces the launch of a solar energy project at the now-closed York County Sanitary Landfill. Construction of the solar panels began in April and the system is now online and generating electricity.
The project is the result of a 25-year service agreement between the YCSWA and York County Solar Partners, LLC. The project itself was developed by a Solar Renewable Energy, LLC affiliate. The project consists of a 240,000 watt (DC) solar panel energy system consisting of 806 panels constructed on two acres of land located on landfill property west of the facility’s maintenance building and along Plank Road in Hopewell Township. The panels are installed in the ground and stand approximately six feet high. They are projected to produce 300,000 kilowatt hours (AC) of electricity annually which is approximately the annual energy usage at the landfill.
The YCSWA invested $100,000 in start-up of the project and serves as “host customer”. York County Solar Partners, LLC, acts as the “system owner”, to use the two acre project site at the landfill to design, install, own, operate, maintain and repair the solar panels. York County Solar Partners also obtains and retains any environmental financial incentives and tax benefits. As host customer, the YCSWA obtains and retains all “green attributes” from the solar panel system. These attributes include all credits, benefits, emissions reductions, offsets and allowances attributable to the generation of the solar panel system and its displacement of conventional (fossil fuel) energy generation. Examples of green attributes include renewable energy credits, avoided emissions and reductions in greenhouse gases, to name a few.
States Richard Hazenstab, Coordinator of Operations & Environmental Programs for the Authority, “The use of a solar panel system to supply our power needs at the landfill demonstrates not only our commitment to alternative energy, but also our efforts to minimize operational impacts to the environment”.
The Authority facilitates responsible solid waste management through an integrated strategy that emphasizes waste reduction, reuse, recycling and resource recovery. The Authority is the owner of the now-closed York County Sanitary Landfill, located on Plank Road in Hopewell Township. The landfill was in operation from 1974 to 1997. The Authority continues to maintain the landfill and is responsible for environmental monitoring and oversight. In 2006, construction of the Hopewell Area Recreation Complex began on 200 acres of the closed landfill. The site now features a multi-use field, a softball/baseball field and a practice field. The site also includes an established wildlife habitat, youth playground and tot lot, 2 ½ miles of mowed grass walking trails, a picnic pavilion, two wildlife viewing platforms, portable restrooms and a youth playground and tot lot.