DENVER — Whether it is take-off or landing, people may not have time to get a glimpse of the renewable energy in action at Denver International Airport. There are over 230 acres of solar panels which produce around 50 megawatts of power.
Sean Conboy, the airport's aviation program manager, explained that DIA has one of the largest solar portfolios of any airport in the world. He said the energy from the solar arrays is used behind the meter, meaning the power is used on-site at the airport.
"Our first array, Solar One, which is what most passengers are familiar [with], was energized back in 2008, and that's the array that's between Peña on the way into the airport," said Conboy. "But the majority of our solar [power] is actually up north, where we are today, and not as many passengers are aware that we have 230 acres of solar up here."
The airport has invested in solar energy for close to 20 years now as part of its commitment to sustainability and green energy.
- Watch Conboy talk about using renewable energy in the video player below:
Janet Kieler, the airport's Environmental Director, explained that the location of the airport has helped with investing in renewable energy, as the land is not constrained by waterways or city life.
"We do have a few fortunate things that really help us achieve such high levels of performance, and one of those is land," said Kieler. "So the folks in the 80s who decided it really was time to have a new airport in Denver, they were really visionary in making sure we secured enough land for very long-term development."
This fall, the Denver City Council adopted a new agreement with Oak Leaf Solar 60 LLC to build a new solar array at DIA, which will help provide clean energy on-site as more passengers come to the Mile High.
"We just signed a contract for a new solar array, which will actually be the largest in the city of Denver. Eighteen megawatts and 90 additional acres," Conboy said.
Looking to the future, Keiler said the airport is preparing for tremendous growth in passengers with Vision 100 and Operation 2045 as part of the airport's strategic plan. She explained that the airport is looking at other green energy options like geothermal and other sources to supplement solar.
"If we go back to when DEN started this journey on Green Energy in 2008, this has been a great solution for two decades of time," said Keiler. "Going forward, we absolutely see solar to continue to be a very important part of our energy portfolio, but we may need to expand to other green energy sources beyond solar, because we all know we're converting so much of our fleet from gas and diesel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles."
