SunPods Announces SOILS™, the First Photovoltaic Array System Designed Specifically for Landfills

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.altenergymag.com/news_detail.php?pr_id=14241

SunPods Announces SOILS™, the First Photovoltaic Array System Designed Specifically for Landfills

Visit http://www.sunpods.com for further information

Non-penetrating and self-leveling factory assembled solar power systems greatly reduces installation time and operation costs.

Submitted on 03/02/10, 04:48 PM

SAN JOSE, Calif., Mar 4, 2010 –– SunPods Inc., a California-based manufacturer of modular, fully integrated and tested solar power generation systems, today announces the industry’s first solar PV array system designed specifically for landfills, SOILS (Solar Operational Integrated Landfill System). SunPods’ proprietary arrays based on their Solar Smart Technology Systems™ are uniquely well suited for installation at locations where there is a need to minimize disturbing the soil and where the landscape may change significantly due to settling conditions.

SunPods SOILS is based on the SunPods SP-100 modular solar array. The SP-100 is assembled at the factory and delivered fully operational to the landfill. It is non-invasive, self-ballasted and sits on adjustable legs on the surface of the landfill. There are no piers, footings or poles to be constructed on the site that could damage the landfill cap. In addition, the legs of SP-100 are adjustable so the units can be periodically leveled to accommodate ground settling. SOILS is a modular system, which can be configured to produce from 2.5kW to utility scale power farms.

Since the SOILS component arrays are assembled in a factory, installation consists of simply placing the modules at the landfill and connecting them together. Because landfills have been carefully capped to prevent contaminates from leaking, their surfaces are sensitive to the traffic and excavation that has been necessary to install traditional ground mount solar arrays. With SOILS, traffic on the landfill surface is kept to an absolute minimum and no excavation is required. SunPods utilizes the industries’ premier components in building SOILS including panels from ET Solar and Suntech and inverters from SMA and Solectria, and other component suppliers that meet the rigorous SunPods standards.

The EPA has estimated that there are more than 490,000 contaminated sites in the US representing more than 15 million acres. The EPA has launched the RE-Power America program to develop renewable energy on contaminated sites. The EPA has identified contaminated sites such as landfills, Superfund, Brownfields and abandoned mines as preferred locations for developing renewable energy. In general, these sites are not suitable for other development. Placing solar arrays on them not only increases the green energy output of a community, it also reduces the need to develop non-contaminated open space for energy production.

...

[Schema Thing]

1. smart synergy, since landfills are already in the power business

[Nihil]

2. ... and not renowned for being particularly appealing scenery ... (n/t)

:thumbsup: