Case Study: Ameresco Landfill Solar Projects in North Ayrshire, Scotland
Project Overview
Ameresco, a leading construction engineering firm, partnered with Detra Solar to develop two solar farms with a combined DC capacity of 12.91 MW and utilizing 20,650 solar modules on former landfill sites for North Ayrshire Council. As a key part of the council’s strategy to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, the project involves transforming previously unusable land at Nethermains and Shewalton into sources of clean energy.
Detra Solar was brought on board as the design partner to deliver efficient solar solutions, leveraging our expertise in optimizing complex solar installations on challenging terrains. Our role was to deliver high-quality, optimized designs to maximize energy yield while ensuring safety and compliance with the unique conditions of these repurposed landfill sites. The designs have now been completed, allowing the project to enter the construction phase.
Client
Ameresco – a leading cleantech integrator and renewable energy asset developer, specializing in energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, and sustainable energy solutions across North America and Europe.
Project Location
North Ayrshire, Scotland
Key Deliverables
Detra Solar was responsible for delivering a comprehensive set of design solutions, ensuring efficiency and project success:
- General Plan: Optimization of overall layout using a 2-portrait fixed tilt PV system.
- Elevation Drawings: Detailed side views of the fence, road, PV mounting system, inverter mounting and cable entry, string wiring, and other various structures/equipment.
- Stringing Layout: Detailed PV string design and labeling.
- DC/AC Cabling Layouts: Low-voltage (LV) cable distribution and medium-voltage (MV) cable routes on site.
- Trench Design: Design of trenches used on site including ampacity calculations.
- Single Line Diagrams (SLDs): Electrical diagrams for both DC and AC levels, SCADA SLD.
- PVsyst Yield Analysis: Multiple versions of yield projections including 3D modeling.
- Bill of Materials (BOM): List of equipment and quantities required for construction.
- Ampacity calculations: Main LV power cable selection for the project.
- Piling Layout: Detailed coordinates for pile positions.
- Temporary Site Compound Design: Design of temporary site compound including worker welfare buildings.
Main Challenges
- Underground Gas Infrastructure
The sites presented significant challenges due to existing underground gas pipes and above-ground valves. Detra Solar employed a ballasted mounting system, avoiding any ground penetration that could compromise the landfill integrity. This solution ensured safety while maintaining the project’s efficiency. - Wildlife Preservation and Adaptive Design
During the project’s late design phase, the discovery of badgers at the Nethermains site required a comprehensive redesign to protect their habitat. Additionally, updates to the PV module specifications demanded swift adjustments to both designs. Detra Solar’s flexibility and quick response ensured that these challenges did not delay the project timeline.
Orange lines indicate underground pipes, while red circles mark the safety areas around valves.
Design Optimization and Technical Adaptability
Detra Solar’s engineering team used advanced modeling techniques and iterative design processes to optimize the layout for energy yield while minimizing environmental impact. By employing ballasted mounting systems, we ensured that existing landfill infrastructure remained undisturbed, which was critical for both safety and regulatory compliance.
System used for DC cabling/RS 485 cable.
Project Timeline
- Design Phase: ~9 months for each site.
- Construction Start: Scheduled immediately upon completion of the design phase, ensuring no delays in the project rollout.
Results
Detra Solar’s optimized design solutions ensured the successful delivery of all required design documentation, enabling both solar farms to move seamlessly into the construction phase. Once operational, the solar farms are projected to generate a combined output of 13,177 MWh annually. This clean energy output will significantly contribute to North Ayrshire’s sustainability goals, while the project itself demonstrates the potential of repurposing landfill sites for renewable energy production. The two sites together will utilize a total of 20,650 solar modules, ensuring maximum efficiency and energy yield.
Environmental Impact
The transformation of former landfill sites at Nethermains and Shewalton into solar farms not only generates clean energy but also delivers a significant environmental benefit. The solar farms’ combined annual output of 13,177 MWh reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 3,030 tonnes per year, replacing electricity that would have been generated using fossil fuels.
In stark contrast, the original landfill sites, spanning 24.3 hectares, would have emitted approximately 24–121 tonnes of CO2 annually (calculations based on data from ATSDR, New York State Department of Health, and related sources). This means that the solar farms avoid roughly 25 to 125 times more CO2 emissions than the landfill would have produced, underscoring the dramatic environmental improvement achieved through this project.
By repurposing these sites, Detra Solar and Ameresco not only contributed to North Ayrshire Council’s renewable energy goals but also made a substantial impact on reducing the region’s carbon footprint, exemplifying how sustainable energy projects can transform underutilized spaces into environmental assets.
Testimonial
“We found the experience with Detra very good. The sites were very challenging, so a lot of design changed through the process. And these were covered in a very professional and good manner.”
– Tristan Lermitte, site manager at Ameresco
Conclusion
The North Ayrshire landfill solar projects highlight Detra Solar’s expertise in delivering tailored solar design solutions for complex environments. In collaboration with Ameresco, we successfully completed the design phase, enabling the transformation of former landfill sites into productive solar parks to advance North Ayrshire Council’s journey towards its net-zero emissions goal by 2030. These projects not only showcase the potential of converting challenging sites into sources of renewable energy but also set a precedent for future initiatives in repurposing underutilized spaces. The success of these projects underscores the critical role of innovative design and adaptability in driving the expansion of sustainable energy infrastructure.
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