Adelaide Airport to add more than 1MW solar PV

Adelaide Airport has announced it is installing a 1.17MW solar PV system on the roof of its short-term car park, bringing its total installed solar capacity to 1.28MW and cutting its energy consumption by close to 10 per cent.

The system, to be installed by Solgen Energy, will be the largest on any Australian airport – a 1MW PV array was unveiled at Karratha airport in Western Australian in August – and will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 300 homes.

Solgen will start installing the 4,500 new PV panels in December of this year, with the project expected to be completed by April 2016. Adelaide Airport first installed solar panels on the roof of its domestic and international terminal in 2007.

Adelaide Airport Managing Director, Mark Young, said the solar system would significantly reduce the airport’s energy consumption, while assisting the state government to achieve its renewable energy and emissions reduction targets.

“Earlier this year we became the first airport in Australia to be recognised by the global Airport Carbon Accreditation program for optimising our management and reduction of carbon emissions,” Young said.

“Adelaide Airport’s vision is to be a top tier airport business centre in the Asia Pacific region, and further improving our environmental credentials is a key part of this vision.”

Solgen Energy Director, David Naismith, said that the Adelaide Airport project was a further demonstration of the growing uptake of solar power as an integral part of Australia’s businesses energy mix.

“Working within Adelaide Airport’s site constraints we engineered a bespoke solution to solve the delicate balance of optimising power output, while delivering a robust business case.

“We’re excited about our partnership with Adelaide Airport to deliver a project that provides a cornerstone to the Airport’s environmental objectives showcased across 8,000 square meters of rooftop,” Naismith said.

Alice Springs Airport, in the Northern Territory, is also expanding its solar system, with a project announced in August that install more than 1000 PV panels on the roof of its shaded long-term parking bay, boosting the airport’s total solar capacity to 800kW, and its self-generation capacity by around 40 per cent.