Where sustainability is taking off: the world’s first solar-powered airport
It’s probably inconceivable to imagine life without air travel, but this modern marvel, as widely prevalent as it is now, harshly impacts the environment with every flight. Long haul flights produce on average, twice as much emissions per mile travelled per passenger than cars, while short haul flights produce three times as much, according to the US-based Flying Clean Alliance (FCA), a global coalition of organisations that seeks to curb aviation pollution.
Now imagine the amount of emissions produced by mass take-offs and landings, and it is clear that airports are a major contributor to global pollution. According to the FCA, Los Angeles Airport in California is the largest source of nitrogen oxide, a key cause of the region’s smog, and the third largest source of carbon monoxide.
Clearly, a short-term solution such as reducing flight frequency will only create more problems for the aviation industry. So, it is encouraging to see airports all over the world take responsibility and implement green solutions without resorting to such measures. The Cochin International Airport, located in Kerala in southern India, is the first airport in the world to run completely on solar power, according to TIME magazine.
After a small pilot project – 400 panels installed on its rooftop in 2013 – was deemed a success, the airport installed a 12-megawatt solar plant, and thus became totally self-sufficient last August, reported the BBC. The managing director of the airport, V.J Kurian was quoted as saying that “it was the huge power bills” amounting to 336,000 rupees or US $5,160 daily, that prompted the switch.
The TIME report on August 18 added that over the next 25 years, the airport’s new power system, comprising of more than 46,000 solar panels arrayed across 45 acres of land, will produce 48,000 units of energy per day, and is expected to save 300,000 tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of planting three million trees! The solar power plant actually produces more energy than it needs, and the surplus energy is stored in the state power grid for rainy days and for use at night.
Indeed, solar power is on an upward trend in India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlining his vision of increasing the country’s solar power capacity to 100,000 megawatts by 2022. This can be achieved by having such panels installed on the roofs of every home in India. As crazy and overly ambitious as that may sound, the country does get 300 days of sunshine a year, and solar energy is much cleaner than conventional forms such as thermal or nuclear, the BBC report added.
Governments have been working to implement energy sustainability into airports in other parts of the world too. It was announced last year, that construction will begin on Mexico City’s new US $9.2 billion international airport. According to a September 2014 Bloomberg report, the airport is set to be one of the world’s biggest and most sustainable. The structure will harness the power of the sun, collect rainwater, provide shade and natural sunlight – all while “achieving a high performance envelope that meets high thermal and acoustic standards”, according to a press release from Foster + Partners, the architecture firm behind the project.
Across the pond, Heathrow airport has also committed to a 34% reduction in CO2 emissions from energy used in buildings and reducing CO2 from the airport’s vehicles by switching to electric vehicles by 2020, according to Airport-world.com.
In fact, the airport was recently awarded a Level 3 Airport Carbon Accreditation, which means that the airport has ‘optimised’ its carbon footprint reduction by engaging with third parties when measuring and reducing its carbon footprint.
While these are just three examples, many airports around the world already have sustainability programs in place - although I would imagine that implementing any sort of initiative across such a vast structure, staffed by thousands of employees, is not without its challenges. Definitely something to think about the next time you are travelling. So let’s hope for more airports to get on board (pun intended) with clean energy initiatives and green solutions.
Now imagine the amount of emissions produced by mass take-offs and landings, and it is clear that airports are a major contributor to global pollution. According to the FCA, Los Angeles Airport in California is the largest source of nitrogen oxide, a key cause of the region’s smog, and the third largest source of carbon monoxide.
Clearly, a short-term solution such as reducing flight frequency will only create more problems for the aviation industry. So, it is encouraging to see airports all over the world take responsibility and implement green solutions without resorting to such measures. The Cochin International Airport, located in Kerala in southern India, is the first airport in the world to run completely on solar power, according to TIME magazine.
After a small pilot project – 400 panels installed on its rooftop in 2013 – was deemed a success, the airport installed a 12-megawatt solar plant, and thus became totally self-sufficient last August, reported the BBC. The managing director of the airport, V.J Kurian was quoted as saying that “it was the huge power bills” amounting to 336,000 rupees or US $5,160 daily, that prompted the switch.
The TIME report on August 18 added that over the next 25 years, the airport’s new power system, comprising of more than 46,000 solar panels arrayed across 45 acres of land, will produce 48,000 units of energy per day, and is expected to save 300,000 tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of planting three million trees! The solar power plant actually produces more energy than it needs, and the surplus energy is stored in the state power grid for rainy days and for use at night.
Indeed, solar power is on an upward trend in India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlining his vision of increasing the country’s solar power capacity to 100,000 megawatts by 2022. This can be achieved by having such panels installed on the roofs of every home in India. As crazy and overly ambitious as that may sound, the country does get 300 days of sunshine a year, and solar energy is much cleaner than conventional forms such as thermal or nuclear, the BBC report added.
Governments have been working to implement energy sustainability into airports in other parts of the world too. It was announced last year, that construction will begin on Mexico City’s new US $9.2 billion international airport. According to a September 2014 Bloomberg report, the airport is set to be one of the world’s biggest and most sustainable. The structure will harness the power of the sun, collect rainwater, provide shade and natural sunlight – all while “achieving a high performance envelope that meets high thermal and acoustic standards”, according to a press release from Foster + Partners, the architecture firm behind the project.
Across the pond, Heathrow airport has also committed to a 34% reduction in CO2 emissions from energy used in buildings and reducing CO2 from the airport’s vehicles by switching to electric vehicles by 2020, according to Airport-world.com.
In fact, the airport was recently awarded a Level 3 Airport Carbon Accreditation, which means that the airport has ‘optimised’ its carbon footprint reduction by engaging with third parties when measuring and reducing its carbon footprint.
While these are just three examples, many airports around the world already have sustainability programs in place - although I would imagine that implementing any sort of initiative across such a vast structure, staffed by thousands of employees, is not without its challenges. Definitely something to think about the next time you are travelling. So let’s hope for more airports to get on board (pun intended) with clean energy initiatives and green solutions.
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