Presentations from Australia's leading Waste Conference, May 02 ~ 04 2017 held in Coffs Harbour, NSW.

1. © 2015 HDR, Inc., all rights reserved.
WHAT IS A SOLAR ENERGY LANDFILL COVER SYSTEM?

2. LANDFILLS IN AUSTRALIA
About 600 mid-range to large landfills
Average area ~ 35 HA
21,000 HA of potential solar
energy source

3. OVERVIEW
 Geosynthetic Caps
 Exposed Geomembrane Caps
 Synthetic Turf – Geomembrane Caps
 Geosynthetic Solar Caps
 Comparison of Solar Options
 Geosynthetic Solar Cap Applications and Projects
 Regulatory Approval

4. GEOSYNTHETIC CAPS
Design Benefits:
 Promotes Positive Drainage
 Minimizes Infiltration
 No Soil Loss
 Reduced Maintenance
 High Quality Stormwater
Runoff
 Accommodates Different
Slopes and Surfaces

5. EXPOSED GEOMEMBRANE CAPS
Exposed Geomembrane Cap and Traditional Cap

6. Design and Performance Benefits:
 Access to Inspect Liner and
Address Repairs
 Confirmation of Liner Integrity
 Performs Well on Flat and Steep
Slopes
 Reduced Construction Time
 Stable and Clean Surface for Solar
Panels
EXPOSED GEOMEMBRANE CAPS

7. EXPOSED GEOMEMBRANE CAPS
Major Design Considerations:
 Wind Uplift
 Stormwater Control
 Resistance to Impact and Puncture
 Anchoring and/or Ballasting System
 Gas Control
 Environmental Exposure
 Access-Vehicles/Monitoring
 Safety
 Aesthetics

8. EXPOSED GEOMEMBRANE CAPS
6.7 HA, 2001
5.7 HA, June 2002
7.7 HA, July 2002
6 HA, 2012

9. Type Specification Lifetime Prediction (Texas, USA)
HDPE GRI-GM13 > 42 years
LLDPE GRI-GM17 36 years
EPDM GRI-GM21 34+ years
PE-R GRI-GM22 ~ 17 years
fPP (TPO) GRI-GM18 33 years
EXPOSED GEOMEMBRANE CAPS
Exposed Lifetime Prediction Results of Selected Materials

10. Texas Florida Sydney Brisbane
Average
Temperature
15 - 27 8 - 33 13 - 26 10 - 30
Average Annual
Precipitation
865 1400 1215 993
Sunshine Hours 5 - 10 7 - 10 7 - 8 7 - 8
Weather Comparison

11. EXPOSED GEOMEMBRANE CAPS
Designed for Major Storms

12. EXPOSED GEOMEMBRANE CAPS
Storm Performance

13. EXPOSED GEOMEMBRANE CAPS
Stormwater Impacts
Stormwater
from EGC
Stormwater
from soil cap

14. OTHER GEOSYNTHETIC CAPS

15. COMPOSITE SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
CLOSURETURF™

16. TYPES OF SOLAR PANELS
Rigid Crystalline Silicon Thin Film Laminate Panels
• Most common
• Efficiency up to 20%
• Design life of 20 yrs; 90% for 10
years; 85% for 25 yrs
• 1 MW per HA
• Top decks
• A-Si, Cd-Te, CGIS
• Efficiency about 10 - 15%
• Design life of 20 yrs; 90% for
10 years; 80% for 25 yrs
• 1 MW per HA
• Top decks, slopes

17. LANDFILL SOLAR CAP VARIATIONS

18. ADVANTAGES OF
LAMINATES
• Flexible panels accommodates
landfill settling
• Deployable on ‘new’ landfills &
slopes
• No racking system: rails, ballast
cement, clips, etc.,
• No point loading
• No penetrations, no ballast
• Distributed load of only 3.6 kg / m2
• Flat profile for excellent resistance to
wind-uplift

19. LAMINATE PANELS INSTALLATION - FIELD FABRICATION

20. LAMINATE PANELS INSTALLATION - FACTORY FABRICATION

21. Source: US EPA, “RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative: Project Tracking Matrix”, October 2016
Annual Growth in Solar Installation on Landfill/Landfill Buffer

22. RICHLAND CREEK ROAD LANDFILL GEOSYNTHETIC
ALTERNATIVE CLOSURE
 Utilized Cap Thickness to Gain Airspace
 Designed to Incorporate Solar Array
Ballasted on Cap
 Lowest Cost Solution for Capping + Solar

23. TESSMAN ROAD LANDFILL SOLAR ENERGY COVER
Performance Benefits:
 130 KW on an 2.3 HA
Closure Area with
Expansion Capacity
 On-Site Electrical Use
 Close as you Go
 Addresses Site Soil
Erosion and Cap
Maintenance Issues
 Continuous Operation as
Designed since 2010

24. TESSMAN ROAD LANDFILL SOLAR ENERGY COVER
2010
S W A N A
GOLD
AWARD
 2010 SWANA Gold Excellence
Award for Landfill Secondary Use
 ACEC National Engineering
Excellence Award
 Continues to Operate as Designed

25. HICKORY RIDGE LANDFILL SOLAR ENERGY COVER
 Permitted as Final Closure
 4 HA Phase I and 15.4 acre Phase II
Landfills (~ 20 HA)
 7,000+ Solar Panels to Produce over
1 MW over a 4 HA South Facing Slope
 Designed for Local Conditions
 Conform to Permitted Closure Grades
 Construction and Continuous
Operation as Designed since July
2011

26. HICKORY RIDGE LANDFILL SOLAR ENERGY COVER
 ACEC Grand Conceptor in
Georgia and National
Engineering Excellence Award
 AAEE National Award for
Environmental Sustainability

27. LANDFILL SOLAR CAPS IN AUSTRALIA
 Brisbane – Conceptual Study
2016
 Victoria – Conceptual Study in
progress
 Adelaide – LMS Energy –
commissioned end of 2016

28. REGULATORY APPROVAL OF ALTERNATIVE CAPS
 Dozens of waste facilities have utilized geosynthetic caps for
alternative closure caps. (MSW, C&D, industrial waste)
 1/5 of the United States and Puerto Rico have approved geosynthetic
caps as Final Closure for MSW landfills

29. NSW Justification for alternate capping
QLD Non-prescriptive; must meet design objectives
VIC Alternate capping method must demonstrate equivalence
SA Soil & reveg is suggested method; need to meet capping objectives
WA Default to VIC requirements
NT Design objectives
REGULATORY APPROVAL OF ALTERNATIVE CAPS
IN AUSTRALIA

30. THANK YOU
Judy DeVita
judy.devita@hdrinc.com

31. The
Circular Economy
in the
Asia Pacific Region
www.keepasiabeautiful.org