Honolulu Airport Is Going Solar
Beachgoers won't be the only ones soaking up the sun in Honolulu.
Hawaii's Department of Transportation said Tuesday that Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) will be harnessing the power of the sun with the installation of 4,260 solar panels.
The integration of solar power at the airport is part of Hawaii's goal of generating 100% clean energy by 2045. Officials hope the solar power absorbed by the panels will cut the airport's electricity bill in half.
“It’s good for the environment, it will save the state money and it provides covered parking at the airport,” Hawaii’s Governor David Y. Ige told CNBC.
In 2016, Cochin International Airport (COK) in southern India became the world's first airport run completely on solar power. It uses tens of thousands of solar panels in a 45-acre field to harness just over 48,000-50,000 kilowatts to power the airport daily. COK predicts its solar panels will prevent more than 300,000 metric tons of carbon from being emitted over 25 years.
HNL will start installing the thousands of solar panels on top of its Terminal 1 parking garage beginning in August, with the project set to be completed by mid-November.
Hawaii's Department of Transportation is planning to install more than 21,000 solar panels across all of the state's airports.
H/T: CNBC
