Solar PV panels installed on the Belfast landfill by ReVision Energy (Photo by Geir Gaseidnes)
Excerpt from Belfast Kicks Off the New Year with More Solar Power by Andy O'Brien.
The City of Belfast rang in the New Year last week by hooking up the city to 396 newly installed photovoltaic solar panels on the site of the former dump, off of Pitcher Road.
The new 122 kilowatt solar array on the old capped landfill along with the 45.9 kW solar-electric array installed on the fire station last year are expected to provide nearly 20 percent of the electricity load for the city's 11 municipal buildings. Last year, the fire station array provided about $6,000 worth of electricity to the city, while the new landfill system is expected to generate an additional $21,000 a year and pay for itself within 15 years.
City Councilor Mike Hurley said the project makes sense fiscally for the town because in 2013 it spent nearly 10 percent of the city's annual budget, on electricity, oil and gas. And because the potential for development on the landfill is limited, it made perfect sense to situate the PV panels there.
More at: http://freepressonline.com/Content/Special-Features/Special-Features/Article/Belfast-Kicks-Off-the-New-Year-with-More-Solar-Power/52/78/43121
