Danbury officials have proposed a solar installation on the closed landfill property, adjacent to the City’s wastewater treatment plant. Veolia Water North America, which is currently upgrading the wastewater treatment plant, will work with the City on this installation.  The company has a standing agreement with the City to provide operation and maintenance services for the plant. 

The proposed $10-million system includes a 2.2 MegaWatt Solar Photovoltaic installation, which is projected to generate 70% of the plant’s annual energy usage.  This will also provide a backup power supply for 3 hours of peak demand. 

Mayor Joe Cavo says this solar power project is not only cost-efficient with an impressive rate of return, but also has beneficial impacts on the environment. He says this, combined with a biodiesel production project at the plant, will place Danbury as a municipal leader in the development of alternative green energy.  There would be a 10-year payback period, which could be as short as 6 to 7 years with the possibility of securing incentives and other funding assistance. 

Danbury is projected to save $320,000 a year on utility costs. This project will produce green energy that costs 0.01 $/kWh vs the current utility cost of 0.09-0.15 $/kWh. Veolia projects the environmental benefits of this installation to equate to planting 34,000 trees or avoiding the use of 4,800 barrels of oil annually.