Solar Project

Firm Selected to Plan Large Solar Energy Facility on Closed Landfill Site

SWACO has entered into an agreement with BQ Energy Development, LLC, to lease the approximately 173-acre property that once served as Franklin County’s sanitary landfill between Jackson Pike and I-71 in Grove City, Ohio. The property will be put back into productive re-use as a solar energy facility. BQ Energy’s intent is to develop, build and operate a solar energy facility once the purchase agreements of the renewable energy are committed to underwrite the project.  

At its meeting in June 2020, the SWACO Board of Trustees approved a contract with Columbus Solar Park LLC to design, build, operate and maintain a solar facility on the former Model Landfill. Columbus Solar Park is an affiliate of BQ Energy Development, LLC., a New York company that specializes in developing wind and solar projects on closed community landfills and other brownfield sites. 

As part of the contract, Columbus Solar Park has up to three years to complete the development and construction of a solar facility. 

When operational, solar array will be one of the largest on a closed landfill site in the nation and will produce enough electricity to power more than 5,000 homes a year. 

Solar Facilities Can Take Many Shapes. 

Here is an example that might take shape in Franklin County. 

DJI_0165
Beacon

The Project Will Generate Revenue and Support for Sustainability Initiatives

Once the solar farm is built, Columbus Solar Park will operate the facility and sell the electricity, which will be available to local entities to purchase. SWACO will receive an escalating rental payment per megawatt of installed electricity capacity. The lease runs approximately 25 years with an option to extend it with mutual consent.

The Model Landfill site served as the county’s sanitary landfill from 1967 to 1985. SWACO began managing the closed landfill in 1987, eventually opening the Phoenix Links Golf Course atop of it in 2000. In 2015, the golf course was closed because of difficulty finding an operator. To this day, SWACO remains responsible for the annual costs to maintain the closed landfill and its underground piping system.

With a desire to repurpose the land to benefit all of Franklin County, SWACO conducted a land-use study last year to determine what type of development – if any – the site could accommodate. The results indicated that it’s well suited for a solar energy project.

Beyond the significant economic benefits of a solar array, a solar field would not only generate revenue and make the site self-sustaining, it also would reflect central Ohio’s innovative culture, commitment to environmental sustainability and serve as an educational tool to teach children and adults in central Ohio about the benefits of renewable energy.

SWACO will use any additional revenue from the solar facility to offset its own operating expenses, develop more educational programming, add to central Ohio’s existing recycling and composting infrastructure, and/or keep the fees low for haulers that deliver waste to the landfill.

Learn More About the Solar Project

Municipalities, businesses and others interested in learning more about the project and potentially purchasing power generated from the site, should contact SWACO’s Director of Operations at [email protected] or 614-801-6436. 

Recent News

Columbus Business First, October 2020, AEP to Buy Energy From New Columbus Solar Farm

Columbus Dispatch, July 2020, Solar Farm Planned at Former Franklin County Landfill Site

Waste Today Magazine, July 2020, SWACO Approves Construction of Solar Farm at Former Landfill Site

Columbus Underground, July 2020, Large Solar Facility Planned for South Side Site

About BQ Energy Development 

BQ Energy is a national leader in developing renewable energy projects on landfills and brownfields, and work exclusively on such sites. They have installed more solar projects on landfills and brownfields in Western New York than any other firm. They have expertise in photovoltaic project design on landfills, electrical interconnection designs and supporting information, landfill reuse applications, project finance and all other solar landfill project development activities. They are headquartered in Wappingers Falls, NY in the Hudson Valley. More information can be obtained at www.bqenergy.com or at [email protected]

SWACO's Carbon Emissions Management Plan

In recognition that climate plays an important role in the quality of life, economic well-being and long-term sustainability of the Central Ohio Region, SWACO is committed to lessening the impact of SWACO’s contribution to climate change and has set a goal to reduce emissions by 64% by the year 2032. Solar as well as existing landfill gas-to-energy technologies are part of the plan. Read more.