London Southend Airport has demonstrated its commitment to self-generation with the largest ever installation of solar panels at a British airport.
Britain’s largest solar installation to date at an airport has been completed at Stobart Group’s London Southend Airport as part of a £10m terminal expansion by Kier Construction. The expanded terminal’s range of shops, cafés and restaurants will be supplied by 496 solar panels, providing clean electricity for decades to come via the airport’s private electricity network.London Southend Airport operations director David Lister said: “We are delighted to add the provision of clean solar electricity to a range of ‘green’ initiatives we’ve introduced as the terminal has developed. Environmentally friendly initiatives are very important to us and the whole building has been designed to incorporate a number of them, including sustainable drainage, specialist coating to improve insulation, extensive glazing to enhance natural lighting and slow-start escalators.”
Photon Energy managing director Jonathan Bates commented: “Solar is Britain’s favourite renewable energy and it’s great London Southend Airport has shown its commitment to self-generation. You can’t necessarily see the panels from the ground but millions of people will get a bird’s eye view of them as they take off or come in to land.
“Airport terminals are great places for solar as they have a lot of roofspace and large daytime electricity consumption.”
Conergy UK & Ireland managing director Robert Goss added: “The recent flooding and heavy rain are a reminder of why the buildings we put up today should consider the climate of tomorrow and produce as much zero-carbon energy as possible.
“The British solar industry can easily turn otherwise unused rooftops into mini-power stations, reducing demand on the grid and the need to import and burn coal or gas. Public and private sector organisations across the country should look at London Southend Airport and work out how they too can produce and consume their own clean electricity.”
