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The innovative and extensive plans will see solar panels mounted on Farnborough Airport’s iconic curved hangar roofs, as well as its state-of-the-art terminal building, the Airport’s control tower, its Ground Support Facility building, and its award winning 169 room hotel, the Aviator Hampshire. The installation will also enable the Airport’s operational fleet of electric vehicles to be charged using self-generated electricity.
The solar installation project is aligned with the Airport’s wider sustainability goals, as Farnborough Airport’s CEO Simon Geere explains, “In our efforts to be a sustainability showcase for airports around the world, we are always looking for new ways to supply and create sustainable energy sources – the new solar installation will enable us to reduce our controllable emissions as set out in our Net Zero Roadmap, in which we have committed to be Net Zero by 2030 or sooner.” The installation also aligns with a recent government bill, which encourages more rooftop solar, opposed to solar on agricultural land.
The installation, construction of which is to start in 2023, will be carried out by solar power generation providers Solivus. Solivus are at the forefront of new-innovation light-weight solar installations. 40% of large buildings like aircraft hangers are unable to take the weight of conventional solar and Farnborough embraced this decarbonisation opportunity. The company’s Chief Executive Officer Jo Parker-Swift commented: “At Solivus, we are on a mission to simplify the decarbonisation of the built environment, so we are proud to be working alongside a business who have likeminded goals.”
The solar installation plans follow a series of successful milestones in recent years at the Airport. In 2018, Farnborough Airport was the first business aviation airport to achieve Carbon Neutral 3+ status. In 2021, it began offering all customers Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and in 2022, for a two-week trial period in the lead up to the Farnborough International Airshow, Farnborough Airport became the first airport in the world to offer SAF at the same price as standard Jet A1 fuel. Also in 2022, Farnborough Airport made a commitment to be Net Zero by 2030 or sooner for emissions within its control, setting one of the most ambitious targets in the aviation industry. Earlier this year, Farnborough Airport was awarded Level 4+, the highest level of carbon accreditation, by the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) scheme.
