Great information found in the "Marketing & Tourism
Trends" eNewsletter by Ferri and Partners:
Jet contrails may be adding to global warming but on the
ground, many airports are getting very green says USA Today.
In 2007, San Francisco International Airport installed
more than 2,800 solar panels on the rooftop of Terminal 3. Visible from the
AirTrain that travels between terminals, the solar panels generate a small
percentage of the airport's overall electrical needs, but enough to power all
the daytime lighting needs in Terminal 3. Pleased with the success of this first
foray into solar power, airport officials plan to integrate solar, and possibly
wind, power into Terminal 2, which is currently being
remodeled.
In 2008, a highly visible "solar forest" sprouted up
just outside the south baggage claim area at California's Long Beach Airport.
The six solar "trees" are actually steel poles topped with photovoltaic (PV)
arrays that measure about 9 feet by 9 feet each and shift and tilt throughout
the day to track the sun.
While the forest is a test project that generates less
than 10% of the airport's overall energy needs, airport spokesperson Sharon
Diggs-Jackson says there are plenty of educational rewards being harvested. "We
have information panels out there that explain the project and tell people about
things they can do to save energy at home."
Next year, when the airport breaks ground for a new
parking structure, Diggs-Jackson says solar technology will be an integral part
of the project.
Recent Comments