Mayor Buddy Dyer’s focus on sustainability includes a vision for solar power at the airport that would leave tourists in awe of Orlando as a city of green energy.
But they better not blink, at least for the inaugural serving of photovoltaic panels at Orlando International Airport. A solar system being installed there would cover less than a third of a football field, while a modern solar plant in Florida could span nearly 400 football fields.
The airport’s first try with solar energy, Dyer said in a statement, is the “beginning of showcasing new technology to Orlando residents and airport visitors as we move the city forward.”
Putting out enough power for about 14 homes, the system will cost about $520,000. It will be tied into a main, underground power line at the airport.
Installing solar-energy systems at airports in long past novel.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the Energy Department published a how-to report in 2014, and the Federal Aviation Administration released a report two years ago on how to go about selecting and installing a system for an airport.
Lakeland’s municipal electric utility and airport, in particular, turned to solar power about a decade ago.
But solar energy at Orlando International Airport is slated to evolve with a twist.
The panels being installed will perch on top of a floating, plastic island in a large retention pond between the existing terminal and the south terminal, which is under construction.
Officials at Orlando International Airport and Orlando Utilities Commission, both of which are owned by the city, say floating solar systems compete with traditional ground systems in price, durability and performance.
“There’s also a case for minimal O&M, operations-and-maintenance costs as compared to a typical ground-mounted system,” said Sam Choi, OUC’s manager of emerging technologies. And, with floating solar, “the cooling effect of water can give a bump in performance.”
OUC is is evaluating the potential for floating systems elsewhere in its Central Florida territory.
But the approach may make the most sense for the airport, which is one of the nation’s largest by area, but is comprised largely of wetlands. The nearly 20-acre retention pond that will host the floating solar system is one of dozens constructed to help make the airport’s soggy real estate usable.
Mark Birkebak, the airport’s director of engineering, said bringing solar to the airport is about “baby steps for everybody to get comfortable with.”
A big part of that is working to ensure the solar system meets Federal Aviation Administration standards and doesn’t pose a risk of reflective glare for air-traffic controllers or pilots.
“You’ve got to start somewhere,” Birkebak said.
The floating solar system will be near the shuttle tracks connecting the airport’s two terminals, making it readily visible to any passengers looking west. But to lure more attention, the floating system will display the airport’s circular, blue-and-white logo, and it will be illuminated with LED lighting.
___
(c)2020 The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.)
Visit The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) at www.OrlandoSentinel.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
