Tucson International (TUS) will be lessening its impact on the environment, thanks to a $5.7M grant awarded by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The grant given to the Tucson Airport Authority will fund the design and construction of the first phase of a project that will provide a 20-foot-tall solar array over the main public parking lot in front of the terminal. Vegetated “green walls” with live plants are also planned as a way to help create a cooling microclimate effect within the parking lot.
“TAA’s commitment to enhancing and preserving natural resources is shared by many across the region, and this project is an exciting demonstration of that common vision,” says Bonnie Allin, TAA president and CEO.
As a way to help offset the TAA’s federal grant-matching requirements for the first phase of the project, the Arizona Department of Transportation will provide $280,000. The three-phase project is expected to be finished within three years at a total cost of $18M, and will employ 20 to 70 people.
U.S. Rep. Ron Barber and Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild expressed their support for the endeavor.
“A huge solar project such as this at the main gateway for visitors when they arrive in our community will show them that Tucson is serious about being a leader in solar development,” Barber says. “Congratulations to the forward-thinking leadership of the Tucson Airport Authority for conceiving and carrying out this visionary venture.”
The mayor also said the project will impress visitors.
“Tucson is a Solar City,” he says. “It’s entirely appropriate that visitors flying in to Tucson see evidence of our commitment to solar even before they get off the plane. I applaud the Tucson Airport Authority for launching this solar project at the airport.”
Construction is slated 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 a year, which will feed into the airport’s central utility plant and serve the terminal complex. Once finished, the entire parking area will be covered with solar panels that will provide shade; total annual production will be approximately 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.
