Sustainable Management Practices are a Bright Idea for Solar Project Sites

While having brunch with some friends last week, I was excited to see that our beverages were served with biodegradable straws. We all raised our drinks to toast the café for being so environmentally responsible. Until… we all realized the drinks themselves had been served in plastic cups! OOPS! It seems that examples like this are all around us.

Whether it’s a business, industry, community or consumer, we all tend to latch on to the “hip” thing that all the cool kids are doing. In the solar industry however, we are seeing corporations not only talk the talk, but walk the walk when it comes to sustainability. In addition to leading the way with renewable and sustainable energy solutions, developers of large solar farms are using sustainable products like Filtrexx SiltSoxx during construction. Filtrexx SiltSoxx are made in the United States and contain 100% recycled organic FilterMedia. SiltSoxx are installed on the ground around the perimeter of the project with no ground disturbance or trenching required. Then, during rain events the SiltSoxx filter sediment-laden stormwater run-off and other pollutants before they leave the construction site. This protects rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands and neighboring properties within the watershed. The FilterMedia within the sock is 100% bio-based and sourced both locally and regionally. This creates a huge carbon footprint reduction when compared to using geo-textile fabrics like Silt Fence, to treat sediment and stormwater on a job site.

In fact, using just 200 feet of 8” SiltSoxx on a project is equal to taking 1 car off the road!

Plus, it’s much easier to clean up when construction is complete. The SiltSoxx fabric can simply be cut, and the FilterMedia raked into the final grade by hand. Call it a “low-impact” removal – something that is critical when working next to the newly installed and expensive solar panels. Of course, Filtrexx SiltSoxx can be used on more than just solar projects. Soxx have been popping up on natural gas pipelines, powerlines, residential home construction, road projects and other earth disturbing activities around the country. I guess you could say that the cool kids are on to something hip. But something tells me that Soxx are here to stay. Just in case, be sure to ask your design engineers, project owners, general contractors, and site contractors to use SiltSoxx on their next project!


Nick has a Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University. He has been with Filtrexx for over 13 years and is now managing sales for the Northeast region. He has over 5 years of experience in SWPPP writing/review, stormwater inspections, and BMP installation. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and kayaking with his girlfriend and playing with his Boxer puppy Rudi.


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