Scientists have found that airports could power more than 100,000 homes with the use of large solar panels located on their rooftops. According to researchers from Australia’s RMIT University, photovoltaic panels in residential areas do not generate as much energy as those placed on large outdoor buildings, such as airports.
Researcher Dr Chayn Sun affirms that the finding makes it possible to take advantage of Australia’s solar radiation: “Australia receives a lot of solar radiation, so all airports in the country would benefit from installing the right kind of solar panels. from many airports and large buildings located around the world. “
By placing solar panels in just 21 of the government-owned airports in Australia, it could produce up to 10 times the amount of energy produced by the 17,000 photovoltaic panels located in Bendigo, in the south of the country.
Only the Perth airport has enough space on its roof to produce up to twice the amount of solar energy used in Bendigo.
The team has found that this new project has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 152 kilotons per year, which is equivalent to taking 71,000 cars off the road.
Of course, more solar panels also means less coal use in the country. Sun says that the burning of about “63 kilotonnes of coal” a year could be avoided if Australia decided to take the step to solarization of its energy in its entirety.
What role do airports play in the climate crisis?
Airports are considered a hot environmental issue due to their high emissions, noise problems, global land use, and overall high energy consumption.
Aircraft emissions, both on the ground and in the air, cause an increase in the levels of pollutants that affect air quality, climate and ozone.
What countries use solar panels in their airports?
Melbourne Airport has the largest solar park in the country, which is approximately 26 football fields in size.
In August 2015, the Cochin International Airport, in India, began to run on solar energy alone, with the installation of more than 46,000 panels at a cost of 7.29 million euros. The solar energy supplied is more than enough to power the airport. It is expected to save 300,000 metric tons of CO2 within 25 years.
Presented in 2020, those responsible for the Edmonton International Airport in Canada declared that they wanted to build the largest airport solar power plant in the world, with more than 300,000 panels and enough energy to power not only the airport, but also between 27,000 and 28,000 homes in the zone. Although construction will not begin until 2022, Edmonton International Airport expects its future solar park to offset 106,000 tons of CO2 per year.
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