Brisbane Airport Solar System – the Brisbane airport have announced that they will install a massive 6MW PV solar array across six sites at Brisbane Airport (BNE). Huge news for commercial solar and renewable energy in general!
Brisbane Airport Solar
According to a spec sheet on the official BNE website, the Brisbane airport solar upgrade will be complete by the end of 2018. It’s already begun work and at the end of the project, six distinct sites across the airport will host 19,200 new solar PV panels generating 6MW per year. It’s to be created with Epho and Shakra Energy. Oliver Hartley from Epho said “The introduction of such a significant solar system is a prime example of how BAC is adopting world-leading technologies in harmony with its sustainability focus.”
Once complete and fully operational, the new solar installation will account for 18% of BAC’s electricity consumption, or 6% of the airport’s total electricity usage. This may not seem like a lot, but it will reduce carbon emissions by 8000 tonnes per year – equivalent to 750 households.
The project will be built in 5 stages, starting with stages 1a and 1b in 2017 – .26MW at Skygate, and 0.22MW at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. The following stages will involve solar roof panels installed on the domestic terminal car parks (both P1 and P2), the International Terminal, and ground panels at Pandanus Avenue.
The General Manager of Assets at the BAC, Krishan Tangri, was quoted on their website discussing the changes the BAC have made to try reduce energy consumption and increase renewable generation: “We are acutely aware of the increasing energy needs of running a major airport and since 2012 we’ve had an extensive energy reduction program in place resulting in the completion of 40 projects which collectively save more than 8 GWh per year.” Tangri also noted that “…with (solar) systems becoming more efficient and more affordable to install, it makes financial sense to invest in this readily available supply of renewable energy to save costs and decrease our carbon footprint.”
Always great to see more commercial solar investment – we’ll follow the project with interest and keep you updated on any changes to the Brisbane Airport solar array!
