Granite Air Center has partnered with Norwich Solar Technologies to install solar power technology on the main hangar rooftop at its facility in New Hampshire.
Completed in early May 2018, the 218.1kW DC, net-metered photovoltaic (PV) system will provide Granite Air with long-term energy cost reduction and stability through the integration of clean, renewable solar electricity.
Granite Air Center is Lebanon Airport’s FBO in New Hampshire, USA. It provides refueling, repair, maintenance, short and long-term hangar storage, and other services to general aviation and commercial aircraft.
Jason Archambeault, co-owner and COO at Granite Air Center, said, “We love the idea that we can offset a large part of our carbon footprint through solar. We believe following socially responsible business practices is just the right thing to do. And using a local solar company to do the work also supports local jobs.”
In addition to long-term energy savings, the solar array will provide the environmental benefits of offsetting the equivalent of 5,554,000 lb of CO₂ – the equivalent of 11,341,000 miles driven by automobile, or 268,000 gallons of jet fuel burned – over its warranted 25-year lifespan.
The recent increase in solar projects at US airports could be credited in part to a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) program. The Airport Environmental Program is intended to reduce emissions and benefit operators with significant savings.
Norwich Solar Technologies provided complete services for the project including permitting, site analysis, engineering, procurement, construction and long-term maintenance of the system.
The project also required an FAA review that Norwich Solar facilitated, ensuring that the array does not obstruct visibility from the tower or cause a glare hazard for pilots.
Bob Lewis, vice president of sales and marketing at Norwich Solar Technologies, said, “As solar power continues to prove its economic and environmental value, airports in the USA are an obvious choice for PV installations.
“The scale of airport solar projects continues to grow because there is considerable untapped energy potential at the nation’s roughly 13,000 airports and airfields.”
