Do Airports Use Solar Panel

Custom designed airport solar arrays.

Do airports use solar panel.

At some of the major airports in the us and around the world solar panels are providing power during daily operations. And if an airfield is no longer operational it may be an ideal space to install a solar project and use the electricity produced as an additional revenue stream. Solar energy technologies such as solar pv are mature commercially available renewable energy technologies. The airport now features over 46 000 solar panels generating in the excess of 13mw.

The airport has a total of 42 358 solar panels spread across 55 acres of solar fields. Adding a large array of solar pv panels to generate electricity for use on site can greatly reduce an airport s utility expenses. The airport also has another 1 mw solar pv plant in addition to a smaller grid connected 100 kw rooftop system both of which were installed two years ago. In other examples found in the study the solar energy systems installed at large airports are used to power nearby cities where demand is high.

Other solar technologies are briefly outlined in the appendix as they also may have some deployment potential at airports. Constellation the tucson international airport has a uniquely designed solar amphitheater producing 1 25 mw. In recent years solar panels are getting installed in the lands around the airport runways to get sustainable energy. This week cochin international airport limited in kochi kerala india inaugurated a 50 acre 12 mw solar pv plant making it the first airport in the world to offset 100 of its usage through the use of solar.

When solar panels are installed the airport can serve as a nearby energy customer itself. The preponderance of examples in which solar panels have been installed at on or near airports is testament to fact that they are not automatically a hazard to pilots. And numerous other airports have installed solar panels and built solar farms to generate renewable energy including the largest airport based solar farm a 183 acre farm at indianapolis international airport which houses 87 478 solar panels and provides 22 2 megawatts of renewable energy for the region s electric grid. Particularly noteworthy and a close analogue to the majura solar farm with regard to its position in relation to an airport is the indiana solar farm.

The airport s solar power plant which is comprised of more than 46 000 solar panels arrayed across 45 acres of land will produce 48 000 units of energy per day the economic times reports. The land surrounding airports is typically unusable because of noise from low flying aircraft. 2mw of solar panels facing due south are located under 1km south west of runways. The focus of this paper is pv as it has the largest potential applicability for deployment at airports.

Well many other airports around the world are following suit and we will be telling you why more airports will join the fray in the coming years.