Danbury Proposes Solar Solution For Wastewater Treatment Plant

DANBURY, CT — The mayor has a plan to turn the city's sewage green.

On Wednesday, Mayor Joe Cavo announced the City's proposal for a solar installation on the closed landfill property located adjacent to Danbury's wastewater treatment plant. The city plans to work with Veolia Water North America on this installation. Veolia is currently upgrading the wastewater treatment plant and has a standing agreement with the City of Danbury to provide operation and maintenance services for the plant.

The proposed system includes a 2.2 megawatt solar photovoltaic installation that would sit on the top of the city’s capped landfill. It is projected to generate 70 percent of the plant’s annual energy usage and, with the use of battery storage, provide a backup power supply for 3 hours of peak demand, according to a news release from the Mayor's Office.

"After considerable research and numerous discussions in our search to implement alternative power projects throughout the City, I can confidently say that this solar power project at our plant is not only cost-efficient with an impressive rate of return, but also has beneficial impacts on our environment," Cavo said. "This project along with our biodiesel production project at the plant will place Danbury as a municipal leader in the development of alternative green energy."

The Mayor's Office projects the city will save $320,000 a year on utility costs. This project will produce green energy that costs 0.01 $/kWh versus the current utility cost of 0.09-0.15 $/kWh. There would be a 10-year payback period, which could be as short as 6 to 7 years with the possibility of securing incentives and other funding assistance.

Veolia projects the environmental benefits will be equivalent to planting 34,000 trees or avoiding the use of 4,800 barrels of oil annually. The company recently opened a plant in Europe dedicated to the treatment of end-of-life photovoltaic panels. Materials used in the panels are separated and redirected to various industrial sectors.