There are currently at least 11 solar arrays operating atop landfills in Massachusetts, with at least two dozen more in development, according to the state Department of Energy Resources.
Solar farms are connected to the electricity grid. Power generated is transferred from the solar panels into the National Grid system and the utility will sell the electricity back to municipalities at a below-market rate. The solar farm newly built in Methuen will be saving the city as much as $80,000 a year.
Solar farms built atop the former municipal dumps across Massachusetts are now tapped into the electrical grid and expected to defray city utility bills. However, power lines construction is needed to disperse and transport the electricity.
In Methuen, the solar panels installed at the Huntington Avenue landfill each produce about as much energy as a bicyclist. But collectively, the photovoltaic array can power roughly 250 homes when operating at peak capacity.
Massachusetts has taken aggressive action in recent years to tap into renewable energy. More and more electric line construction and transmission infrastructure needs to be built efficiently and economically.
Solar installations across the state now have the capability to generate 298 megawatts of power. Initially, Gov. Deval Patrick sought to reach 250 megawatts by 2017. But that level was surpassed this spring and the governor has since established a new benchmark of 1,600 megawatts by 2020.
For more information on power line construction in Massachusetts, contact ElecComm.
Excerpts - Eagle Tribune
