Waste to watts: A “brightfield” installation has the potential to bring renewed life to a brownfield site

A brightfield is an abandoned or contaminated property (brownfield) redeveloped to use solar technology. In the US, the Department of Energy created a Brightfields program to enable communities to transform idle, unproductive assets into aesthetically pleasing properties that generate both clean energy and revenue for the community; but despite being greeted with enthusiasm, the brightfield concept has seen little takeup. Lori Ribeiro looks at one such project in Brockton, MA, USA, which shows that it is viable to turn brownfields into environmental, aesthetic, economic and educational assets.