Why Cochin Airport made solar history
The Cochin International Airport is set to become India’s first fully solar-powered airport. The 12 MW solar plant that consists of 46,000 solar panels is set to generate 50,000-60,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day. The proposed energy production would be at an estimated 148 MWh per year with a capacity of 100 kilowatts-peak (kWp). The energy capacity of each PV module would reach up to 240-250 Wp, which is sufficient to meet all of the airport's power demands and operations. After the install of this system, Cochin Airport is set to become one of the first green airports in India and the world.
How airport-scale solar can work
After the success of two smaller solar plants, airport authorities pushed to upgrade to the 12MW solar plant. The cost of this upgrade to the airport premises was approximately 62 Crore (12 million AUD). The solar plant at the airport has managed to save more then 550 MT of carbon dioxide emissions so far, and as the nations 4th largest international airport, it will push other airports to follow suit as it increases productivity and profitability as well as saving the environment using renewable energy.
What it signalled for clean infrastructure
Source Pareek, S. 15 August 2015, "Cochin Airport to be India’s First to Run on Solar Power", accessed 16 August 2015.
