Solar racking equipment company installs panels at Maryland landfill site

Solar FlexRack, Youngstown, Ohio, has announced it installed what it calls the largest solar project on a closed landfill in Maryland. The 18.1 megawatt direct current facility, known as the Annapolis Renewable Energy Park, is located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and is owned by a subsidiary of Building Energy, a multinational company headquartered in Italy operating as a globally integrated independent power producer in the renewable energy industry. The project was developed by BQ Energy, a company headquartered in Wappinger Falls, New York, specializing in landfill and Brownfield renewable energy projects.

Led by national engineering, procurement and construction firm EDF Renewables Distributed Solutions, San Diego, the facility spans 80 acres and was completed in mid-2018. The solar energy park will generate enough clean energy to power more than 12 percent of the city’s homes annually. In addition to gaining the reassurance of fixed clean energy for its clients and partners, the city is estimated to receive more than $250,000 annually by leasing the property to Building Energy.

Unable to drill piles into the landfill’s protective membrane cap, Solar FlexRack used B3P-X precast fixed tilt racking foundations for the more than 54,000 solar panels.

“Solar FlexRack’s expertise in this important niche market makes the company a perfect partner for landfill projects,” Jamie Resor, CEO of EDF Renewables Distributed Solutions, says. “We are pleased to work with a firm that can provide the precise, high-quality product required to execute our vision for the Annapolis Renewable Energy Park.”

“EDF Renewables’ deep experience and technical capabilities make them an extraordinary leader in the field,” Steve Daniel, executive vice president of Solar FlexRack, says. “It was a pleasure to collaborate with them on the park, and we look forward to the next partnership opportunity.”

Solar FlexRack offers ballasted solar racking equipment for sites challenged with penetration, weight and other regulatory restrictions.