Video: Smith College Engineering Students Say Solar Power Viable on Landfill Site

Here is a complete YouTube video of an April 19 presentation by students in the Smith College Picker Engineering Program Senior Design Clinic. They presented their analysis of renewable energy potential at Northampton’s municipal landfill. This presentation is the product of a year-long study that researched wind, solar and biofuels on the landfill as it is scheduled to close in mid-2012. The students determined that wind energy and biofuel production are not viable at the landfill site, but solar power looks promising. This video is 37 minutes long and was recorded by Adam Cohen.

See also:

Greenfield, MA: Solar Farm Project – Contract Signed (6/25/10)
After a competitive procurement process, the Town selected Axio Green,
LLC to design, develop, construct and operate of a 2.0 MW solar
installation on the Town’s capped landfill off Wisdom Way. Construction
of solar installations on landfills is considered to be an ideal use of
such property…

The farm will annually generate approximately 2,400,000 kwh of power.
This represents 45% of the electricity used by all town-owned buildings,
including the schools, and the Town anticipates it will save
approximately $250,000 in electrical costs during the first full year of
operation.