Representatives from PIT at its partners in front of the solar array at Pittsburgh International Airport – credit, BlueSky News / PIT, via Flickr.Already partially-solar powered, the Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is doubling its solar panel count by utilizing an adjacent property that used to be a landfill.
Now filled in, the 12 acres of terrain will be covered in 4.7 megawatts of solar energy, capable of canceling out 5 million pounds of CO2 emissions that would otherwise be generated from burning fossil fuels.
PIT already boasts its own 23-megawatt solar and natural gas microgrid, an installation which uses solar power to cover PIT’s demands, natural gas to make up the difference during peak hours or if the sun isn’t shining, and which transfers unutilized solar power to local homes and businesses.
The new solar farm on the old landfill will support this mission, leading to fewer cubic meters of gas being burned, and more solar power being sent out into the wider area.
“We’re maximizing the use of airport assets for the betterment of the region—from air service to real estate development to energy innovation,” said PIT CEO Christina Cassotis. “And there’s more to come.”
“More” in this case means the future site of a mini-refinery for sustainable aviation fuel, according to Elektrek, which claimed the landfill solar farm would be operational in 2027 for those looking out of their windows hoping for a glimpse.
OTHER AIRPORT INNOVATIONS:
A release from Blue Sky News references recent blackouts that shut down London Heathrow Airport and airports in Spain and Portugal as a flashpoint that captures the value of PIT’s microgrid, which, along with preventing such calamities, saves the airport $1 million in electricity costs per year.
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