Protecting the environment through smart solar choices
This television news report by Richmond-based WTVR addresses concerns by two Louisa County landowners about excess runoff and flooding caused by the construction of a large industrial-scale solar project near their property.
Access the published report that accompanied the video with this link.
“How Virginia farmers claim Dominion is destroying their land: ‘It’s pretty catastrophic’,” WTVR, 5 Oct 2021, by Laura French
Continue readingThe Project will coordinate the collection and recycling of the PV modules [i.e., solar panels] and for minimizing the potential for modules to be discarded. If there is no possibility for reuse, PV panels will either be returned to the manufacturer for appropriate recycling/disposal or will be transported to a recycling facility where the glass, metal and semiconductor will be recycled. Best management practices at the time of decommissioning shall be utilized.
Louisa County, Board of Supervisors minutes, oct 2016, belcher solar llc application, packet p 153
The disposal of the actual solar panels (called “PV modules” in solar developer terminology) is the biggest challenge of all in closing a solar plant. Each panel measures roughly 3′ x 5′ and weighs about 40 pounds (see Energy Sage’s Average Solar Panel Size and Weight for more details). The documentation for the solar project in this example says that the panels will be “returned to the manufacturer” or recycled. But what happens if the manufacturers (roughly 90 percent of whom are in China) refuse to accept the return of used and obsolete solar panels? Who pays the cost of returning them to China or other locations? And if the panels cannot be returned and recycling of obsolete panels is not feasible, what happens to the panels? If any of these happen, it is logical to assume that the panels will end up in a landfill. The question is, whose landfill will get them?
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Decommissioning consists of the removal of above- and below-ground facility components, management of excess wastes and materials, and the restoration of native habitat. (…)
[P]reparatory measures may be required including, but not limited to, (…) as-needed vegetation clearing, fencing and gate repair, and removal and disposal of materials generated from the above-listed activities. (…)
After the facility has been disconnected from the utility power grid and all electrical components have been disconnected within the facility, equipment will be dismantled and removed. (…) All above ground cables will be removed and transported off-site to an approved recycling facility or landfill. Underground cable runs will be cut off and will either remain in place, or be removed and recycled or taken to a landfill. All underground cable left in place will be cut off at a minimum depth of three feet below ground surface. (…)
Should a structure break during excavation, any portion below 3 feet in depth will remain in place with the exception of any concrete foundations. (…)
louisa county, board of supervisors minutes, oct 2016, belcher solar llc, packet pp 152-153
This decommissioning agreement is similar to most others in that it allows the solar developer to leave behind cables and other materials if they are more than 3 feet below the surface (with the exception of concrete foundations). However, earlier in this project’s documentation (packet p. 149), the developer stated that the solar panels are installed on steel racking structures whose posts are “driven 5-6 feet into the ground using a post-driving machine.” In addition, while the removal of materials is delegated to a contractor, no specifications are included about who will supervise and ensure that the removal is completed correctly, with minimal breakage.
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