City studying putting solar panels on 'unproductive' landfills
The city is spending $150,000 to look at putting solar panels on its closed landfill sites.
But the city councillor who proposed it says that's not too much money because the project should eventually pay for itself.
We need to ... look at where we can take unproductive lands and offset some dollars.- Terry Whitehead, Ward 8 councillor
The city is hiring a consultant to look at putting a solar farm on the Glanford landfill site on Concession 6, which has been closed since 1980. If that works, the city will look at expanding it to some of its other 12 closed landfills.
The preliminary cost is $150,000 to hire a consultant to do a feasibility study of the idea. Terry Whitehead, Ward 8 councillor, says that's not too much money. If it works and the city sells the power generated, he said, then it will make that and more.
"We need to start thinking outside the box and look at where we can take unproductive lands and offset some dollars," he said.
"To spend $150,000 to gain a lot, I think, is prudent."
It's not a new idea. In Dekalb County south of Atlanta, Ga., for example, solar panels cover four hectares (10 acres) of the 14-hectare Hickory Ridge landfill site.
Councillors first voted to look into it in September. It came after Samsung wanted to install 60,000 solar panels in Mountsberg, which would have been enough to power as many as 5,000 homes.
Council voted down the idea, and Samsung didn't move ahead with the project. But Whitehead believes companies will line up to set up solar farms on old Hamilton dump sites.
It will take about six months to do the study.
Closed landfills in Hamilton:
- 87 Acre Park: Concession 5, Stoney Creek (which resulted in a 2003 fine from the province)
- Ancaster: Concession 3, closed December 1982
- Beverly: Concession 6, closed July 1980
- Binbrook: Concession 4, closed December 1980
- Brampton Street: Saltfleet, closed March 1974
- Dundas: Concession 1, closed January 1976
- Edgewood: Concession 6, West Flamborough, closed December 1978
- Glanford: Concession 6, Glanbrook, closed December 1980
- Rennie Street: Concession 1, Stoney Creek, closed December 1974
- Stoney Creek: Concession 5, closed December 1978
- Upper Ottawa: Concession 7, closed October 1980
- West Hamilton, Concession 1, closed December 1975