US company Nautilus Solar Energy has announced the opening of a community solar farm on the Altamont municipal waste dump and burn pit, formerly the Schenectady Army Depot.

The project marks the first community solar farm to be developed on a formerly used defence site (FUDS).

The 2.8MW farm will provide clean energy to more than 260 New York households, with the company encouraging those who cannot afford to install solar panels on their own homes to subscribe to community solar at a discount to the standard electric service rate.

Eric LaMora, executive director of community solar at Nautilus, said: “The successful development of this community solar farm on a FUDS site sets a new precedent in renewable energy projects. It is a proud moment for Nautilus as we contribute to the clean energy transition while fostering local economic growth.”

Located near the Northeastern Industrial Park in Guiderland, New York, the initiative demonstrates how former environmental liabilities can be turned into productive renewable energy sites.

The site previously hosted the Schenectady Army Depot, a critical facility for the US Army from 1941 to 1969 receiving, storing and transmitting military supplies.

The US Army Corps of Engineers has carried out environmental maintenance at the site under the Defense Environmental Restoration Programme for FUDS.

The solar farm has been constructed carefully, with measures taken to protect the underlying structure of the land. For instance, solar panels have been mounted as a fixed-tilt ballasted system on the vegetated landfill cap.

The US has recently ramped up initiatives to repurpose former military-related sites to produce renewable energy. At the end of last month, Power Technology reported that the US Department of Energy will work with Hecate Energy to repurpose the Hanford site, which was previously used to produce plutonium for the Manhattan Project, into a 1GW solar farm with battery storage.