 NOTE: Next week, geosynthetica will publish a full article on Republic's project in San Antonio.
The old saying that things are bigger and better in Texas just might apply to landfill management. Republic Services, Inc. has unveiled a 5.6-acre exposed landfill cap with photovoltaic (PV) cells adhered directly to the membrane. It's all taking place on a portion of the 680-acre site along Tessman Road in San Antonio, Texas.
Firestone manufactured the green-colored membrane, and United Solar manufactured the flexible PV laminates.
Republic is partnering with CPS Energy on the demonstration project to attach more than 1,000 flexible solar strips to the landfill's south facing side slope. The cap's performance will be studied and documented in order to provide a baseline for future project around the region. Construction on the site, which has received approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), took place December 2008 through March 2009.
Republic reports that the solar cells are not the only power-generation technology at the Tessman Road landfill. Biogas has been harvested and converted to power at the site since 2002. Together, these systems are expected to produce power for approximately 5,500 area homes.
This project is the first flexible membrane cover to be used in this manner and may precipitate many other projects.
A full article will be published next week.
Chris Kelsey is the editorial director for geosynthetica.net. He can be reached at chris@geosynthetica.net.
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