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S U N L I G H T  +  L A N D  =  P O W E R

Developing Utility Scale PV Solar Installations on Closed LandfillsPresentation in “Renewable Energy on Brownfields Sites” Session

WEST COAST1 Pointe Drive, Suite 320Brea, CA 92821714.388.1800

EAST COAST5 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 350Malvern, PA 19355610.251.6851

www.pvnavigator.com

Oklahoma Brownfields Conference

Ian A. Webster, Sc.D., PV Navigator, LLC, Brea, CA

May 22-23, 2012. Oklahoma City, OK

GULF COAST10497 Town and Country Way, Suite 830Houston, TX 77024713.468.5886

Project Navigator, Ltd.’s, PV Navigator, L.L.C. Has Grown a Landfill-Specific, Solar Power Development Group Since 2007.

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What PVN develops MW-scale, PV installations

on landfills and Brownfields sites

Typically fixed-tilt, rack-mounted, self-ballasted installations

Approximately 50 MW of site capacity under Option

More than 300 MW in overall PVN pipeline

Who PVN is a wholly-owned subsidiary of

Project Navigator, Ltd. (www.ProjectNavigator.com)

Internally financed (to date)

Staffed by engineers, land development and power experts

4 year growth and branding effort

Relationships with Enel, Gestamp and Chevron Energy Solutions

Where Projects primarily in CA and NJ

Caribbean expansion goals

How Detailed sites/landfill locations

knowledge

Knowledge of Fortune 500 boneyard acreage

Excellent regulatory relationships

Landfill post closure PV permitting expertise

Leverage proven PV technologies and apply to landfills

(e.g. PVN’s California Energy Commission Grant)

Growing brand recognition

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1 – 10 MW, Small-Scale, Distributed, PV Solar Facilities Can Rapidly Deliver Power to Meet Utilities’ RPS Standards or Generate Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs).

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PV Navigator, L.L.C.’s solar development business is centered around the following drivers:

Costs and project risks associated with central-scale projects and associated

transmission are eliminatedPVNavigator’s business area

Conventional Generation

Present Day Large Desert PV Plants

Long Distance Transmission

Local Substations

Local distribution

Consumption

• Brownfield site or Landfill• Urban location • Close to power consumption point• Local transmission

Project cost avoidance via use of Brownfield sites and the need for new transmission lines

Minimizing permitting requirements via development on State or Federal superfund sites

RPS regulatory drivers for green power purchase• e.g., in CA, 20% renewable power by 2010, and 33% by 2020

Speed to marketplace ahead of larger central-scale projects

Availability of urban landfill or Brownfield sites which can host the panels

Availability of funding for small plants Location of sites by existing distribution or local load

PVN’s Solar Development Projects.

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1110 10. Buena Vista Landfill: 1MW

11. Delaware City: 4MW12. Ocean Township: 5.86MW13. Lumberton Landfill: 2.4 MW14. Owens Corning Landfill:

3.1 MW

East Coast

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2

3 45

68

7

CA

NV

OR

AZ

ID1. Avon Refinery: 10 MW2. Purity Landfill: 1MW3. OII Landfill: 4MW4. BKK Landfill: 10MW5. WDI Landfill: 4MW6. Big Bear Landfill: 2MW7. Gemcor Site (Chevron Landfill): 10MW8. Milliken Landfill: 5MW9. Barstow Landfill: 10MW

West Coast

MA

VTNH

NYCT

RI

NJPA

DEMDOII Landfill: 4MW

BKK Landfill: 10MW

Avon Refinery: 10MW

Buena Vista Landfill: 1MW

1213

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Key Partnerships Have Been Formed to Grow the Business.CES Providing EPC Capabilities and Interconnect Feasibility.

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Blower & Flare Station

Power Generation via Gas Turbineor Steam Cycle Systems

Waste/ComplexOrganics

OrganicAcids

LandfillGas

Other Landfill Monitoring Systems (e.g. for groundwater)

Landfill GasCollection Wells in Waste

Breakdown Process of Landfill Waste

Typical Landfill20 to 200 acres

PerforatedGas Pipe

Methane andCarbon Dioxide

Methane andCarbon Dioxide

Landfill Gas-to-Power

Landfill gas (LFG) migrates to waste prism extraction wells and the associated collection systems. The LFG is conveyed via a network of pipes to feed a power generation plant.

While Large Scale (300 MW and up) Solar Facilities Are Planned for the U.S. Southwest, They Face Permitting, Financing, and Interconnect Challenges. Not so for Urban Located Landfill or Brownfield Sites.

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PerforatedGas Pipe

Methane andCarbon Dioxide

Methane andCarbon Dioxide

Blower & Flare Station

Power Generation via Gas Turbineor Steam Cycle Systems

Waste/ComplexOrganics

OrganicAcids

LandfillGas

Landfill GasCollection Wells in Waste

Landfill Gas-to-Power

Landfill gas (LFG) migrates to waste prism extraction wells and the associated collection systems. The LFG is conveyed via a network of pipes to feed a power generation plant.

PV Solar PowerA photovoltaic (or PV) cell is a specially treated wafer of silicon, sandwiched between two thin contact plates. The top contact is positively charged and the back contact is negatively charged, making it a semiconductor.

• The n-type semiconductor has an abundance of electrons, giving it a negative charge, while the p-type semiconductor is positively charged.

• Electron movement at the p-n junction produces an electric field that allows only electrons to flow from the p-type layer to the n-type layer.

• When sunlight hits the solar cell, its energy knocks electrons loose from the atoms in the semiconductor.

• When the electrons hit the electrical field, they’re shuttled to the top contact plate and become a usable electric current.

• PV panels are mounted in racking systems specially designed to accommodate landfill-specific requirements such as “no cap damage” and “waste settlement.”

A typical racking module is 10ft. By 20ft. and generates 2.5kW. This translates to about 1MW from every 3-5 acres.

Photovoltaic CellDetailed cross-section

Solar PanelGlass covering

Transparent adhesive

Anti-reflection coating

Not to scale

ElectricCurrent

DC/AC InverterNecessary to convert electric current for consumer use

Utility Company

Solar Power to the GridExcess energy from the solar array is fed into the power grid. It helps provide extra electricity to the community, especially during peak daytime hours.

Customers

Solar Panels

The sun gives off about 400

trillion watts of power

Other Landfill Monitoring Systems (e.g. for groundwater)

Landfill Sites are Excellent Platforms for PV Solar Facilities. Flat Acreage, Close to Load and Interconnect, Putting Otherwise Unusable Acreage Back to Use. Projects are Technically Straightforward but Administratively Complex.

According to U.S. EPA, There is No Shortage of Brownfield and Landfill Site Acreage Which Could be Suitable for Renewable Energy.

Over 400,000 identified Brownfield sites in the United States

16 million acres are available for development of renewable energy

That’s enough land to generate approximately 3,175,000 MW

(For reference, the Hoover Dam generates about 2,000 MW)

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The Business / Economic Viability of PV Power is Increasing.

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Reference: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/gifs/Fig23.gif

Reference: http://www.7gen.com/node/26000

High electricity prices, combined with…

…State-specific renewable portfolio standards (RPS) and …

…the gradual annual increases in power prices…

… will make PV generation competitive with fossil fuel generation.

A Landfill Site is a Good PV Development Candidate if Certain Screening Criteria are Met.

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Environmentally Impacted Land (Restricted Future Use)

Appropriate Geographic Location

Land Control (Title or Long‐Term Lease)

Nearby Interconnection 

Point

Adjacent Load (PPA Approach)

State‐Mandated Renewable Portfolio Standards

Green Corporate Goals

Project Financing• External• Internal

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The Stages in PV Solar Power Plant Development.The Challenges Lie in the Front-End Permitting.

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* Can be in form of an “option agreement” between landowner and solar project developer, or a longer term land lease. Option would convert to a land lease once the scope and economics of the proposed project are better defined, such as at the execution of a PPA.

Site Identification

Civil Engineer Selection

Financing

Site Control*

Technology Provider/EPC ContractorSelection

Tariff Rate Determination

Permit Acquisition

Contract Execution

Contract Execution

Power Purchase

Agreement Execution

Site Plan / Layout Design

Power Scheme Design

Inter-connection Agreement Execution

Site Upgrades

Procurement

CommissioningOperations

and Maintenance

Early Planning, Negotiations and Project Marketing Phase

• Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) Proposal and/or Negotiations

• Power Marketing• Interconnect Study• Environmental Permitting

Including Any EIR Work and Associated Environmental Document Revisions

• Facility Conceptual Design• Project Economic Calculations

Key Design Criteria are Minimal Settlement & The Continued Need for Cap Functionality.

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Design considerations include eliminating cap penetration, continued functionality of the ET cap, storm water management, wind design and insuring protectiveness during an earthquake event.

Design of PV Array will take into consideration:

1. Settlement• Total• Differential

2. Panel placement on cap• Spread footings• Anchors

3. Continued performance of evapotranspirative (ET) cap

• Infiltration minimization• Vegetative growth

4. Stormwater management• No standing water• Runoff management

5. Other

Settlement monument

Electrical lines in above-ground, lightweight, flexible steel conduit

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1

3

4ET monocover

Drainage swale

SunPods solar array with adjustable footing

Pre-cast concrete footingSunPods adjustable footing Ballasted racking

Types of footings for rigid glass solar panels

Swale cross-section design

Landfill ET cap designs

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The Solar Panel Rack’s Design Must Not Damage the Landfill’s Cover and Must Accommodate Future Settlement.

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Deg

ree

of

Cap

Pen

etra

tio

n

Earth Anchors/Auger System

Shallow Piers Self Ballasting, Higher Load

Type of Racking System

L

M

H1

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1. http://www.mass.gov/dep/energy/solarlf.pdf2. http://aec.army.mil/usaec/newsroom/update/win08/win0812.html3. http://www.sunpods.com/sunpods-products-and-solutions.html

REFERENCE:

Case Study: PV Navigator, LLC Entered into an Agreement in 2011 to Develop a 6 MW PV Solar Installation on the Southern Ocean Landfill (SOLF), New Jersey with Power Sales to Atlantic City Electric.

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PV Navigator, LLC Leads a Multi-talented Solar Development Team.

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Project Financing Systems Engineering, Design/Build

Services

Technology Supplier: Skid-Mounted PV

Solar Systems

Project Owner, Manager and Systems Integrator

EIR and NEPA Services

Energy Solutions

Early 2000’s Closure of SOLF is Well-Documented. Information Aids Current PV Development Program.

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Pre-Closure, Late 1990’s

During Closure, Early 2000’s

Post Closure, 2004

Reference: Southern Ocean landfill Closure Project, As‐Built Drawings, Hatch Mott McDonald, June 2004

VEGETATION

Key Facts

Operated 1970 – 1989

Engineered cap in 2003/04

A & B waste prisms at 14 & 48 acres, respectively

B’s flat top deck is 24 acres

60 ft depth of trash

Regulated by NJDEP

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Conceptual Layout of Solar Modules for the Southern Ocean Landfill PV Power Development.

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CONCEPTUAL PLAN

2,300 SunPods solar units (each unit 10’x20’)

Total system would be capable of 5.86 MW, generating about 8 MM kW-hrs per year

30 year operating lifetime (planned)

Solar PV Power Layout

Conceptual Layout of 5.86 MW PV System at the

Southern Ocean Landfill Inverter

Switch Yard

Prefabricated, Racked PV Systems Specifically Designed for Landfill Caps Will Be Used at SOLF Development.

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Features of SunPods Landfill PV Solar Unit

2.5 kW per array (as shown)

• i.e. 400 arrays per MW

Arrives prefabricated 

• Minimal onsite assembly

20 ft X 10 ft arrays 

Weighs 2,500 lbs, supported on a  leveling support system

• Eliminates landfill cap penetration

• Self ballasting

10 Gauge steel frame

Rated to 100 mph + wind speed

Ready to connect 

Minimal maintenance

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PV Rack Support Geotechnical Calculations Show the Waste Prism to be Stable.

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Very Dense and Very Hard

Dense and Hard

Medium Dense and Very Stiff

Loose and Firm

Very Loose and Soft

First data point is at 5 ft bgs

N

*Ref: Rogers, J.D, 2006, Surface Exploration Using the Standard Penetration Test and the Cone Penetrometer Test, Environmental & Engineering Geoscience, Vol. XII, No.2 pp162

Legend*

Community Outreach and Project Advocacy is Conducted via Public Meetings…Where Resistance is Typically Low.

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Conclusions: Lessons Learned After 5 Years of PV Navigator’s Solar Project Development Efforts

The challenges are in (1) permitting, and (2) finding a power off takerwho’ll pay enough (cents/kW-hr) to make the economics work

– Technology and construction challenges are secondary

Have a good (probabilistic?) economic model

Define and negotiate with the potential offtaker(s) early

– Perform power interconnect / feasibility study early in the process

Bid the forecasted power from the development into utility RPS RFOs

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Regarding landfill post closure use:

– If considering a closed landfill, evaluate the quality/quantity of existing site characterization data, esp. “geotech.” Keep costs down by leveraging past info.

– Develop solar layout and grading plans early in the process

– Cross check solar layout Vs final grades of remedy

– Add “solar final use vision” text to appropriate docs to environmental agencies

Develop a project fact sheet, early, and discuss with all possible stakeholders

PNL Has a Grant from the California Energy Commission to Pilot Test a PV System on a Closed Landfill Site in Los Angeles.

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1. WiFi/telemetric system data collection/transmission

2. Reference settlement monument

3. Landfill lateral gas collection system (which may or may not exist for the selected landfill)

4. Landfill waste

5. Engineered landfill cap/cover. This can be an ET monofill or a multilayer RCRA equivalent cap

6. Weather station

7. Wireless strain gauge monitoring system, or associated system to measure strain changes in the solar panel racking system

8. Tilt gauge

9. System orientation monitoring

10. Power generation capacity over entire annual cycle

11. Storm water run off management

12. Monitor growth of cap’s vegetative layer under array

13. Panel washing and associated water use; methods and frequency

Figure shows a small scale, PV solar rack pilot system, located on a landfill cap. The purpose of the pilot unit is to measure and monitor the systems power generation operating performance on a landfill site where prior desk-top calculations have shown the installation of a 1 to 10 MW PV solar facility may be technically and economically viable.

The pilot facility would typically be operated from 1 to 2 years, thereby permitting any effects of the solar system on the cap (e.g. in the form of increased load and altered storm water management) to be evaluated.

Software Generated Data Display

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Goal: The collection of power generation performance data as well as information on any impacts the solar racking system may have on the landfill cap’s functions regarding gas collection and infiltration minimization.

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