Airports could power 100,000 homes if we covered them in solar panels
Scientists have discovered that solarising airport roofs could be the next step towards a clean energy transition.
Scientists have discovered that airports have the potential to power over 100,000 homes with the use of large solar panels which could be placed on their roofs.
Researchers at RMIT University in Australia found that residential solar panels don’t generate nearly as much energy as panels on top of large open-air buildings like airports.
The hope is that with a shift in placing solar panels on top of airport roofs rather that having smaller panels on top of homes, the country will be able to reach a zero-emission economy much faster.
Researcher Dr Chayn Sun says that what they have uncovered leaves the potential to put Australia’s solar radiation to good use.
"Australia receives so much solar radiation, so every airport in the country would benefit from having the right type of solar panels installed. The same could be said for many airports and large buildings located around the world."
Related
The high-altitude solar farm floating to success
Disneyland Paris is building a solar farm as big as 24 football fields
These are the 11 most beautiful solar farms in the world
By placing solar panels on just 21 of government-owned airports in Australia, as much as 10 times the amount of energy could be produced than what the current output is of 17,000 residential solar panels located in Bendigo, Victoria, South Australia.
Perth Airport alone has enough space on its roof to produce up to twice the amount of solar energy being used in Bendigo.
The team has discovered that this new project has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 152 kilotons a year, which is equivalent to removing 71,000 cars off the road.
Of course, more solar panels also means less coal burning in the country. Dr Sun claims that some “63 kilotons of coal” could avoid being burned each year if Australia decided to make the shift to solarising their energy in full.
This new project has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 152 kilotons a year.
Overall, researchers found that the study meant there was scope for Australia’s future environmental and energy policies to include solar panels at airports and other large buildings.
Airports are considered a heated environmental issue due to their high level of emissions, noise issues, overall land usage and overall high energy consumption.
Emissions from aircrafts both on the ground as well as in the air give way to rising levels of pollutants which affect overall air quality, climate and the ozone.
Which countries are utilising solar panels at their airports?Melbourne Airport, Australia - Hosting the country's largest solar farm, Melbourne Airport has a farm which is approximately the size of 26 football pitches. Currently, the farm only offsets between 15 to 20 per cent of the airport's energy usage per year.
Cochin International Airport, India - In August 2015, Cochin International began running on solar power alone with over 46,000 panels being installed at a cost of €7.29 million. The solar energy provided is more than enough to power the airport alongside some of the state’s power. It is expected to save 300,000 metric tonnes of CO2 within 25 years from its completion date.
Customized/OEM/ODM Service
HomSolar Supports Lifepo4 battery pack customization/OEM/ODM service, welcome to contact us and tell us your needs.
HomSolar: Your One-stop LiFePO4 Battery Pack & ESS Solution Manufacturer
Our line of LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries offer a solution to demanding applications that require a lighter weight, longer life, and higher capacity battery. Features include advanced battery management systems (BMS), Bluetooth® communication and active intelligent monitoring.
Customised Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Casing
ABS plastic housing, aluminium housing, stainless steel housing and iron housing are available, and can also be designed and customised according to your needs.
HomSolar Smart BMS
Intelligent Battery Management System for HomSolar Energy Storage System. Bluetooth, temperature sensor, LCD display, CAN interface, UART interface also available.
Terminals & Plugs Can Be Customized
A wide range of terminals and plugs can be customised to suit the application needs of your battery products.
Well-designed Solutions for Energy Storage Systems
We will design the perfect energy storage system solution according to your needs, so that you can easily solve the specific industry applications of battery products.
About Our Battery Cells
Our energy storage system products use brand new grade A LiFePO4 cells with a battery lifespan of more than 4,000 charge/discharge cycles.
Applications in Different Industries
We supply customized & OEM battery pack, assemble cells with wiring, fuse and plastic cover, all the cell wires connected to PCB plug or built BMS.
Applications: E-bike, Electric Scooter, Golf Carts, RV, Electric Wheelchair, Electric Tools, Robot Cleaner, Robot Sweeper, Solar Energy Storage System, Emergency Light, Solar Power Light, Medical Equipment, UPS Backup Power Supply.
We can provide you with customized services. We have the ability to provide a vertical supply chain, from single cells to pack/module and to a complete power solution with BMS, etc.
HomSolar (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd
