Farnborough Airport unveils major solar installation
November 8, 2024
Farnborough Airport has completed one of the largest lightweight solar panel installations in the south east of England, which now generates a quarter of its own energy.
This milestone marks a significant step in the airport’s sustainability journey, as it aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
Over the past eight months, more than 4,000 solar panels were installed across key facilities, including the airport’s signature curved hangars, control tower, modern terminal, and the Aviator Hotel.
The energy generated will support not only the airport’s operations but also power its fleet of electric vehicles.
The solar installation delivers a total capacity of over 1,700 kWp and is expected to produce over 1.2 GWh of clean energy annually, reducing the airport’s reliance on external power sources.
Throughout its lifetime, the system is anticipated to produce more than 36 GWh of renewable energy and prevent over 5,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Partnering with Solivus, a pioneer in innovative solar technology, Farnborough Airport adopted a lightweight solar solution tailored for large structures like aircraft hangars that often can’t support conventional solar panels.
Farnborough Airport CEO Simon Geere said: “In line with our ambition to become a sustainability showcase for airports around the world, we’re proud to have partnered with solar technology pioneers, Solivus, to install one of the largest rooftop solar projects in the region. The solar installation is a significant step towards achieving our sustainability objectives, significantly reducing our controllable emissions, as set out in our Net Zero Roadmap, in which we have committed to be Net Zero by 2030 or sooner.”
Solivus CEO, Jo Parker-Swift, commented: “Rooftop solar is crucial for decarbonising the built environment, but its application has often been constrained by the structural limitations of many commercial buildings. Put simply, traditional solar panels are too heavy for many rooftops. Our lightweight solar innovation addresses this issue, enabling large-scale, cost-effective solar deployment across nearly all large commercial buildings and sites.”
