Denver airport is tops in solar energy
Published Thursday, 28th July 2011
Denver’s International Airport (DIA) can now say it generates more solar power than any other commercial airport in the US.
With the completion of a 4.4-megawatt, ground-mounted solar energy system, the airport now produces more than 8 megawatts of power from three large-scale solar projects. Constellation Energy built, owns and maintains the newest solar installation, and the airport will buy electricity produced by the system over a 20-year period.
“With the addition of this solar facility, Denver International Airport’s three solar array systems now produce approximately six percent of the airport’s total power requirements,” said Kim Day, aviation manager for DIA. “We support alternative energy applications at DIA because these projects are good for the environment while positively impacting our bottom line; they are financially sustainable.”
The system, which uses about 19,000 Yingli Solar photovoltaic panels, is expected to supply some 7,000 megawatt-hours of electricity to the airport each year.
The Denver-based solar development firm Oak Leaf Energy Partners originally developed the project, which is its third at the airport.
Constellation Energy currently owns and operates around 95 megawatts of solar installations that have been completed or are under construction for customers throughout the United States. By structuring its solar projects as power purchase agreements, Constellation Energy requires no upfront capital from its customers and says it is able to provide power at a fixed cost that is less than projected market rates.
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