Client: City of East Lansing, MI
Project Size: 300KW
Community Solar Development on a Reclaimed Landfill
Burcham Solar Park transformed a capped landfill into a productive renewable energy asset, demonstrating how underutilized properties can be successfully repurposed to support community sustainability goals. The project features an approximately 1,000-panel solar array designed to generate clean energy while preserving landfill integrity and promoting long-term environmental stewardship through native vegetation restoration.
Developing solar infrastructure on a capped landfill required careful consideration of settlement potential, limited load-bearing capacity, and restrictions on subsurface disturbance. The project team needed to determine whether the site could safely accommodate a photovoltaic system without compromising the landfill cap or long-term site performance.
Geotech’s Role
Geotech provided geotechnical and environmental engineering services to evaluate site conditions and support solar development planning. Our team assessed landfill cap performance, analyzed settlement and bearing capacity characteristics, and provided engineering recommendations for low-impact foundation and racking solutions compatible with landfill conditions.
Scope of Services
- Site reconnaissance and subsurface evaluation
- Geotechnical assessment of landfill cap conditions
- Settlement and bearing capacity analysis
- Solar racking system foundation recommendations
