Challenge
A solar project inside India’s largest airport was no walk in a park. Some of the notable challenges were,
1. Working in one of the busiest airports in India, non-disruptive project execution skills were imperative.
2. Since solar panels were supposed to be fit just 150 mts away from the runway, the reflections caused by the solar panels would hinder the visibility of the pilots and the ATC, causing blind spots.
3. With stringent checks in place, managing labour & material in such an environment would lead to roadblocks in completing the project on agreed timelines.
Solution
Enerparc Energy designedandinstalleda7.85 MWp ground mount solar system featuring ‘X’ solar panels mounted using a seasonal tilt mechanism to avoid any glare caused by the solar panel reflections. A Summer tilt of 13° and a Winter tilt of 43° was derived through the ‘Glare Analysis’, studying the pattern of the Sun over the Delhi region for various seasons of the year.
Benefits
The 7.85 MWp solar projects expected to drive more than$900 million in electricity cost savings over the next 25 years. This
project helped the DIA to cover more than 20% of their operational costs sustainably, reducing carbon footprint.
A Strategic Investment in the Sun
Massive energy consumption, 24/7 operations with ample amount of space available makes airports an ideal location for solar. Airports with their typically flat rooftops and barren ground space provide a great site for commercial solar to help reduce utility bills and enhance their sustainability goals.
At Delhi International Airport, we incorporated ground mount solar mechanism as we recognized there was a huge amount of unutilized land available which could be put to good use.
DIA solar project was the first airport solar project in all of Asia. Since it was a one of kind project, the challenges that came along were unique, which required unique solutions. Enerparc Energy with their technical expertise, worked closely with the DGCA to overcome the challenges that were put forth, completing the project on record time. The 7.85MWp ground mount solar system generates an estimated ‘X’ MWh of clean energy per year for the DIA. The system reduced costs in its first year of operation by more than $40 million. The investment made for the project was estimated to return within ‘X’ years. Which simply means, any power generated after the breakeven period would act as savings made by the DIA. To put it in perspective, the DIA would be saving $940 million over the next 25 years. More importantly,the system is expected to reduce the grid
dependency and the effects of the inevitable rise inutility rates.
Seamless and Sustainable
‘’Installing solar panels in one of India’s busiest airports is definitely a commendable job. The entire process was so seamless that it did not disrupt any of the airport’s operations’’ *Facility Manager* of DIA
This project has given us much confidence and opened new avenues to take on any kind of challenge that hits our shores. DIA’s solar project is a great example of how an airport, operating 24/7 with massive energy demands can drive innovation and sustainability at the same time.
