The positives of using solar energy are numerous, and creating power through an otherwise unusable space is a another one that Norwich, CT may be adding to the list. A city landfill that has already exhausted its space is being considered as a site for what would be one of the largest solar arrays in the Northeast.
Not every individual home is a good candidate for solar, but the community array would allow people who live on sites that are cannot support solar arrays, or rent their homes, to take advantage of the power of the sun.
The solar array would be installed by Brightfields, a company which specializes in giving brownfields a new life through redevelopment. Brownfields are underutilized or abandoned industrial sites. Other cities across the country have created solar array and other new uses out of landfills or other unusable land. Atlanta, GA’s Hickory Ridge landfill is one of them, pictured above.
A letter appeared in the Norwich Bulletin this week from Donald Leone encouraging the evaluation of this project. Leone calls the idea a “no-brainer” that should be “evaluated as soon as possible”.Hopefully more Norwich residents will follow his lead and steps will be taken to put the redevelopment project in motion.