Construction On Mansfield Landfill Solar Project Starts Under State Clean Energy Program

MANSFIELD, CT — Construction is underway on a solar energy installation at a municipal landfill site in Mansfield, according to Verogy, a West Hartford-based distributed energy developer.

The company said the project is participating in Connecticut's Non-Residential Renewable Energy Solutions, or NRES, program, which supports non-residential solar projects that deliver power to the grid.

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Under the state program, non-residential solar project owners are compensated for the clean power their systems produce. Verogy said projects built on capped landfills and brownfields receive a 20 percent bid price preference in the state's procurement process. According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, 14 projects totaling more than 17 megawatts of power have been sited on landfills through the NRES program to date.

Verogy described landfill solar as a growing model for putting closed disposal sites back into productive use. For host towns, the company said the arrangement can bring rental income, increased tax revenues and local job creation. Verogy handles development and construction.

"Every one of these projects tells a similar story: land that once represented a challenge for a community is now generating renewable energy and delivering lasting economic benefits to residents,” said Will Herchel, CEO of Verogy. "Connecticut is showing the rest of the country how to think creatively about clean energy development, and Verogy is proud to be part of that effort."

The Mansfield installation is one of four landfill solar projects the company identified in Mansfield, Morris, Somers and Suffield. When complete, the four projects will bring Verogy's total completed landfill installations in Connecticut to seven, according to the company.

Verogy said the four projects also support Connecticut's statutory mandate for a 100 percent zero-carbon electric sector by 2040. The company said the installations are projected to offset about 3,145 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

"Combined, the four landfill installations are projected to offset approximately 3,145 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, the equivalent of removing 734 cars from the road annually," Herchel said. "We're pleased to work with municipal leaders across Connecticut in the fight against climate change."

For Mansfield, Verogy listed the project at 2,337.3 kW DC, with expected annual production of 3,212,947 kilowatt-hours. The company said that is enough electricity to power 297 average homes for a year.