Construction has begun on a solar array of more than 13,000 solar panels on John F. Kennedy International (JFK) Airport’s New Terminal One.
Largest airport terminal solar array
The Terminal One solar array will reportedly be the largest in New York City and the largest at any airport terminal in the country.
The 6.63MW solar array on the terminal’s roof is part of a 12MW microgrid that will distribute electric energy from solar, fuel cells and batteries through a localized and self-contained energy system that can operate independently from or connected to the main power grid. This microgrid will also include 3.84MW of fuel cells and 1.5MW/3.34MW/h of battery energy storage, all of which will be located in four clusters of electrical generation infrastructure placed around the new terminal to create a single smart, resilient energy system. It will provide power for the terminal’s daily operations.
The microgrid will recover heat from the fuel cells to generate chilled water and hot water for the terminal. It will generate enough electricity to power half of the everyday operations of the terminal, or roughly the energy to power more than 3,500 average US homes. AlphaStruxure is financing the microgrid project through an Energy as a Service (EaaS) contract, which is a long-term agreement ensuring predictable operating costs and guaranteed performance without upfront capital expenditures to either the port authority or New Terminal One. AlphaStruxure is responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of the microgrid over the life of the contract.
The clean technology aligns with the port authority’s sustainability goals, which include reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and requiring greener operations by its business partners, such as airport terminal operators and airlines. The port authority, in partnership with the New York Power Authority, also is constructing a 12MW solar canopy at JFK’s long-term parking lot 9, which will consist of 7.5MW of battery storage for airport peak energy use and a 6MW community solar generation facility, and will provide covered parking for 3,000 vehicles. Other solar projects at port authority facilities include a 5MW solar parking canopy at Newark Liberty International Airport, a 1.5MW rooftop solar array on LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B garage, and a 600kW solar roof on a PATH warehouse rooftop.
According to the partners, The New Terminal One microgrid will be especially resilient due to its design of clustered architecture consisting of four power islands. Each power island functions as a hyper-localized, self-sufficient energy system with sources of generation, storage, and advanced automation and control. When one island is taken down for routine maintenance, the other three can remain online. The microgrid’s ability to provide half of the terminal’s own electrical needs helps to mitigate the impact of a regional grid blackout on airport operations, which could otherwise lead to substantial delays for airline passengers.
Strategic partnerships
Project partners include AlphaStruxure’s two parent companies, Schneider Electric and Carlyle. Schneider is delivering leading microgrid technology, controls, software and services, while Carlyle is providing financing for the microgrid. Other project partners include Burns, serving as owner’s engineer on the project; E-J Electric Installation Co. as the design-builder; Vanderweil Engineers as the engineer of record; Bond Civil & Utility Construction as the mechanical contractor; and HyAxiom, a Doosan company, as the provider of fuel cells and their maintenance.
Construction of the microgrid will support almost 100 local jobs, through AlphaStruxure’s design-builder partner E-J Electric Installation Co. Headquartered in Queens, E-J Electric will source all labor through local unions affiliated with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.
“When the new terminal is complete, it will be the largest terminal at JFK Airport, so we are particularly pleased to incorporate on-site power using a green energy source into the design of the terminal,” said Rick Cotton, executive director at the port authority. “We have made sustainability a major priority at our facilities, and this massive solar array is a unique and innovative solution that reduces our carbon footprint and continues our march toward net zero.”
“This construction milestone in our redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport represents more than progress at one of our facilities because its success will set an industry example for others,” said Kevin O’Toole, chairman of the port authority. “On-site green energy development such as the country’s largest airport solar array will reduce the generation of greenhouse gases that cause climate change at the New Terminal One.”
“Breaking ground on this first-of-its-kind microgrid solution is a major and exciting milestone in New Terminal One’s commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and setting a new industry standard on sustainability,” said Jennifer Aument, CEO of New Terminal One. “This resilient and efficient energy solution will simultaneously enable us to decarbonize, drive innovation and deliver lasting benefits to both our passengers and our community.”
“When it comes to energy, airports are facing a perfect storm: more passengers, more electrification, more outages, and more power capacity bumping up against aging energy infrastructure that’s less and less able to keep up,” said Juan Macias, CEO of AlphaStruxure. “JFK’s New Terminal One is building sustainable energy infrastructure at the speed and scale necessary to stay ahead of these challenges. We’re thrilled to provide an integrated microgrid solution via Energy as a Service that not only provides resilience for New Terminal One passengers but advances the city, state and port authority’s ambitious decarbonization goals.”
In related news, the New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) recently began seeking a professional security service provider (SSP) with experience of operating at the highest standards for aviation services and security. Click here to read the full story.