Tucson’s main airport plans to make a cool statement about solar energy.
Over the next couple of years, Tucson International Airport plans to install a solar-powered canopy over the entire main terminal parking lot, with the help of federal and state grants.
The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded a $5.7 million grant to Tucson Airport Authority to fund design and construction of the first phase of the project which, when complete, will feature a 2.5-megawatt photovoltaic array about 20 feet tall over the entire main public parking lot in front of the terminal.
In addition, vegetated “green walls” with live plants are planned in order to help create a cooling microclimate effect in the parking area, the airport authority said. Parking rates for the main terminal lot will not change because of the solar structure, airport officials said.
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The Arizona Department of Transportation will also provide $280,000 to help offset TAA’s federal grant matching requirement for phase one of the project. The entire three-phase project is estimated to be complete in two to three years at a total cost of $18 million and employ 20 to 70 workers.
TAA President and CEO Bonnie Allin said in prepared remarks that the authority has been working to identify potential funding sources to enable development of a large-scale solar energy photovoltaic system, based on TAA’s “commitment to enhancing and preserving natural resources.”
U.S. Rep. Ron Barber (D-Tucson) and Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild both expressed their support for the project.
“Tucson is a Solar City. It's entirely appropriate that visitors flying in to Tucson see evidence of our commitment to solar even before they get off the plane,” Rothschild said in a statement released by the airport authority.
Construction for phase one of the project is scheduled to begin in spring 2013 and will cover approximately five of the main parking lot’s 12 acres.
The first phase will generate about 1 megawatt of power annually, which will feed into the airport's central utility plant and serve the terminal complex. Once complete, the entire parking area will be covered with shade-providing solar panels and total annual production will reach about 2.5 megawatts.
The federal grant is part of a new program that provides funding for airport projects that promote energy efficiency under the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012.
Local firm Barker Morrissey Contracting will design and build the array, the airport authority said.