The Indiana state capital motors its way into the solar record books.
The intense sound of power echoes off the coliseum of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway every Memorial Day weekend as 33 drivers vie to be the winner of the historic Indy 500. Nearby Indianapolis International Airport (IND) has harnessed a different kind of power to win another history-making race: the first U.S. airport with a solar farm in the double-megawatt-digits.
Courtesy of John Bragg Photography.
The 75-acre, $40 million solar farm sits at the entrance to IND. The 12-MW project broke ground in mid-March 2013, and less than one month later, a second identical farm was approved on the other side of the entrance.
The first phase was already determined to be the largest solar farm at an airport. Multiply that by two and IND is making a big statement. The first phase and its 41,000 panels were introduced to the world at a commissioning ceremony in September; the second phase is expected to be finished in Spring 2014.
“It’s going to be a very much iconic symbol for Indiana and Indianapolis that further ensures we are a green city and a green state,” says Eric Anderson, director of properties for IND. “[The solar farms] are the first and last thing people will see coming in and out of our city.”
Courtesy of John Bragg Photography.
IND started exploring solar options about two years before the project was announced. The success of Denver International Airport’s three solar farms, including the July 2011 commissioning of a 4.4-MW ground-mount system, really pushed IND’s plans. A request-for-proposal was sent out, and after sorting through a good number of respondents, IND went with a local entity that provided the best deal.
ET Energy Solutions — a joint venture between Indianapolis based Johnson-Melloh Solutions and the Telamon Corp. — broke ground on the first 12-MW solar farm with general contractor Cenergy Power. During construction, around 140 temporary positions were filled while 12 permanent positions have been created to manage and maintain the solar farm.
The Indianapolis International Airport is the land owner of the solar farms, leasing the two 75-acre plots to ET Energy Solutions for 30 years. ET Energy Solutions is then selling the power produced to Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL) through a feed-in-tariff program.
Courtesy of John Bragg Photography.
Airports may have a lot of land ideal for solar installations, but many approvals need to be met. IND had to get a land release from the government, air spacing approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and glare study approvals for the pilots.
“We had to get FAA approval,” Anderson says. “This land was pretty limited on what we could do with it anyway because it is closer to the approach of Runway 5. You had a pretty good height limitation on what you could do there, and this [solar] application fits really well.”
Alexa Amatulli, marketing and project coordinator for Telamon Corp., says construction of the first phase went ahead of schedule.
“Sometimes construction is over-estimated, which held true in this case,” she says. “The timeline was extended due to any weather concerns, and since the weather has cooperated, there were only minor delays.”
Cenergy Power construction manager Chris Sears says working on the IND solar farm — ahead of schedule and under budget — has been “a breeze and one of the best projects I’ve ever done.”
Sears also says building a solar farm at an airport with planes flying above has been unique, but he’s never felt unsafe.
“We’ve had no issue with the airlines, airplanes coming in,” he says. “One portion is toward one of the runways, but by the time they’re coming in, they’re still well above us. It’s kind of interesting.”
The solar farms at the Indianapolis International Airport offer a birds-eye view of solar power to travelers visiting the city.
“Airport-based solar farms show creativity on the airport’s part for thinking of non-airline generated revenue,” Amatulli says. “The solar farm also contributes to the Indianapolis International Airport’s green initiatives. The solar farm does send a message to airport travelers on the importance of energy efficiency in everyday life.”
— Solar Builder magazine
[source: http://www.solarbuildermag.com/featured/indianapolis-international-airport-solar/]
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