Landfill solar project built in Utah is the state’s largest to date

The community solar project will power 3,000 homes this summer with clean energy, lowering greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing about 5,400 cars per year

Spotted: Ohio-based photovoltaic (PV) mounting and solar tracker solutions Solar FlexRack has installed a 4.7 MW community solar project in Spanish Fork, Utah.  

The project, which is managed by Utah’s Municipal Power Agency, was built by Prometheus Power on a 27-acre landfill. It is expected to power nearly 3,000 homes this summer with clean energy, representing the biggest landfill solar project in the state. 

Moreover, for local residents who subscribe, the development will also provide savings, according to Solar Flexrack.  The company says the project will create employment for around 50 people as well as “lowering greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing about 5,400 cars from the road per year”. 

Solar FlexRack is an integrated solar company that offers custom-designed, fixed tilt ground mount and single-axis solar tracking systems for commercial and utility solar mounting. Their service runs from design to delivery and installation, including engineering, geotechnical and pullout testing. So far, Solar FlexRack has installed 2.5 GW of solar racking across 40 American states and five countries. 

Mostly, when solar developments are built in landfill, it does not allow penetration in the site’s land surface. Solar FlexRack’s Series B Cast-In-Place (CIP) ballasted mounting technology was selected for this project due to its swift installation compared to other on site ballast systems, customisable block sizes and fewer components needed for installation. A two-piece pre-assembled structure makes shipping economical, allowing the forms to be simply folded and fastened in place onsite, taking under 3 minutes each. Lighter ballasts and flexible arrays also keep the project costs low.  

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