The unveiling marks one of the largest solar installations in the South East, enabling the dedicated business aviation hub to generate 25% of its own power.
The airport has been working with solar power generation providers Solivus on the solar project for the last eight months with the light-weight panels ideal for use on hangars which are typically unable to support the weight of conventional solar panels. Over 4,000 panels have been mounted on its iconic curved hangar roofs, as well as its state-of-the-art terminal building, control tower and award-winning Aviator hotel.
The installation powers the way for the airport’s fleet of electric vehicles to be charged using self-generated electricity. In total over 1,700 kWp of installed capacity annually will generate over 1.2 GWh of clean energy each year. The photovoltaic (PV) installation is expected to generate over 36 GWh of energy in its lifetime and offset more than 5,000 tonnes of CO2e in that time.
Describing the installation as an important step towards achieving the airport’s sustainability goals, Farnborough Airport CEO, Simon Geere, said “it will reduce our controllable emissions, as set out in our Net Zero Roadmap, in which we have committed to be Net Zero by 2030 or sooner.”
He was joined by Solivus CEO, Jo Parker-Swift, who underlined that rooftop solar is a critical step for decarbonising the built environment. However, “its application has often been constrained by the structural limitations of many commercial buildings,” he said. “Put simply, traditional solar panels are too heavy for many rooftops. Our lightweight solar innovation addresses this issue, enabling large-scale, cost-effective solar deployment across nearly all large commercial buildings and sites.”
The solar installation is the latest in various measures the airport has adopted to reduce its carbon footprint. In 2018, Farnborough Airport was the first business aviation airport to achieve Carbon Neutral 3+ status. In 2021, it began offering all customers Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and in 2022 became the first airport in the world to offer SAF at the same price as standard Jet A1 fuel. Earlier this year, the airport was also awarded Level 4+, the highest level of carbon accreditation, by the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) scheme.
Image source: Farnborough Airport
