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Airport solar array cut runway-lighting electricity use by roughly 86%, staff say
Summary
Airport staff reported an 86% reduction in utility costs for runway lights after installing a solar array and said the airport will use accrued credits in lower-generation months; staff also discussed a planned educational solar tour with the city’s climate coordinator.
Airport staff told the commission that the airport’s recently installed solar array has dramatically reduced electricity use for runway lights and that staff expect to use credit built during high-generation months in winter.
An airport operations staff member said, “we are as far as our utility bill on the runway lights, we're down 86%.” Staff said the airport has built up a credit balance during sunny months that will be used when generation falls in October through December.
The staff member said smoky or hazy conditions had some effect on generation but did not provide quantitative losses for those days. The commission also heard that Sarah Gardner, the city’s climate action coordinator, plans to use the airport solar installation for educational tours to demonstrate solar benefits; staff said Gardner “wants to do a big educational thing with solar power” and the airport would host tours and demonstrations.
No formal policy change or additional solar procurement was approved at the meeting. Staff said they will continue to monitor output over a full year to evaluate long-term savings and to report back to the commission.
