TRC Companies Inc., a national engineering, environmental consulting and construction management firm, and renewable energy project developer BQ Energy have partnered to construct the PatterSun solar installation, a project situated on a capped landfill in Patterson, N.Y.
It is the first project of its kind that was developed on a municipal solid-waste landfill in the state.
PatterSun, which comprises over 3,000 solar panels, generated 918 MWh of energy within the first months of production. TRC developed a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan – reviewed and approved by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) – to make sure the design would not greatly impact the landfill.
To ensure compliance, the project employs above-ground, ballasted foundations, which prevent contact between the farm and the waste material underneath.
TRC carried out the environmental permitting, engineering design and landfill oversight responsibilities, working closely with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the NYCDEP to obtain approval of the two phases of construction at the site.
