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Landfill Reborn as Solar Powerhouse
7 Sep
Summary
- Old landfill transformed into a 57-acre solar park.
- The park features 52,416 solar panels generating 18 megawatts.
- It now supplies approximately 40% of Annapolis's municipal electricity.
Annapolis, Maryland, has transformed a disused municipal landfill into a significant source of clean electricity. The site, a capped and grassed-over hill, sat idle for nearly three decades before city planners recognized its potential for solar power generation. By 2018, the city, in partnership with Building Energy and Anne Arundel County, launched the Annapolis Renewable Energy Park.
This 57-acre park features 52,416 solar panels installed on ballasted racking systems, avoiding disruption to the landfill's protective cap. The facility has a direct current capacity of 18 megawatts. Six years into operation, the solar park now supplies approximately 40% of the electricity used for Annapolis's municipal operations. Ownership has since transferred to Novis Renewable Holdings.
The project offers substantial environmental benefits, offsetting an estimated 13,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. It has become a recognized template for other municipalities with similar brownfield sites, requiring no new land and generating lease income. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists it as a solar project completed in 2018 on a municipal solid waste landfill.
