How microgrids can accelerate airport decarbonization
As the aviation sector continues to decarbonize, a significant and largely untapped potential exists to boost energy efficiency and reduce emissions. Associate vice president for energy, Mushtaq Ahmad, shares how the development and installation of microgrids will move airports toward their net zero goals faster than ever before.
Every year, more and more travelers take to the skies. It is expected that passenger air traffic will almost double by 2042, reaching nearly 18 billion passengers annually. And as travel demand increases, so too will aviation’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). To reach net zero, the sector must act decisively — and soon, as the air sector is one of the fastest-growing transportation-related GHG emitters.
In response, airports around the world are seeking numerous solutions to reach their net zero targets. One in particular has taken off and promises to expand the performance of airports. That solution is the microgrid.
Some of the world’s leading airports have already begun installing microgrids, and their efforts are paying off; microgrids support local and regional zero-emission ambitions and can build resilience for mission-critical operations. Here’s what it takes to get this technology off the ground.
Airports as energy hubs
The world’s airports consume vast quantities of energy — equivalent to more than 10,000,000 tons of CO2e per year in Scope 1 and 2 emissions according to recent estimates. But what if they produced and managed energy of their own?
That’s the promise of microgrids, which entail an independent grid system that supports on-site electricity generation via photovoltaic (PV), and other low-carbon sources. Integrated battery storage also plays a critical role in microgrids, allowing locally generated energy to be conserved, sold back to the broader grid, or even support seamless operations during power outages or emergencies.
It’s for precisely the above reasons — sustainability, resilience and cost — that microgrids have taken off at many airports.
Fearful of expensive disruptions caused by power outages at other U.S. airports, in 2021 Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) became the first airport in the world to fully power its operations through a microgrid supported by natural gas and solar energy.
Built, operated and maintained by the local utility at no cost to the airport, the microgrid — powered by five natural gas-fueled generators and nearly 10,000 PV solar panels — can meet the facility’s peak power needs. In its first year, the microgrid saved PIT $1 million in energy costs and reduced roughly 8.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
In New York City, nearly $10 billion in upgrades to Terminal One at JFK International Airport will include a microgrid powered by a combination of natural gas, rooftop solar, fuel cells and battery storage.
Rather than meeting the terminal’s total daily electricity needs, the microgrid will instead ensure exceptional resilience: it will provide enough continuous power for the 23-gate hub to keep functioning even if the grid goes down — reducing the risk of canceled flights and sustaining critical operations.
One size does not fit all
To unlock these demonstrated benefits, airports will need to navigate an array of considerations, including multiple tenants and stakeholders, local resources, regulations, competing priorities and myriad safety and security requirements. All of these, though, can be managed and mitigated by developing a custom solution on a site-by-site basis.
Making space
One of the most frequent challenges is space. Airports must find sites for multiple energy resources while also contending with sprawling facilities and diverse tenant requirements. And among the most stringent of those requirements are height limitations and risk of glare.
Air traffic control restrictions can also place constraints on the siting and implementation of certain facilities, including PV panels. Overcoming these constraints means thinking creatively.
Airports can consider multiple microgrids supported by PV located on garages, rooftops and rental car centers. They also might leverage combined heat and power via hydrogen or renewable natural gas cogeneration as part of the central utility plant. Fuel cells and battery storage are also part of the solution and can be integrated across multiple locations for greater flexibility and efficiency.
Safe and secure
Critical safety and security needs also accompany the introduction of microgrids. The significant communications technologies embedded in microgrids present considerable cybersecurity risks. Cybersecurity measures must play a key role in the deployment and operation of microgrids, protecting these systems against cyberattacks and ensuring a resilient power supply.
A balancing act
Electrical loads and energy management pose another complication. As the industry accelerates sustainable operations and the electrification of facilities, fleets and aircrafts, load requirements for airports are increasing. While microgrids can help manage this surge in load growth and limit associated infrastructure costs, it remains a complex task to balance numerous, often intermittent, energy sources.
Advanced energy management systems can help balance complex loads generated by distributed energy resources (DERs), such as solar, or hydrogen, while also optimizing energy storage and consumption. An ideal mix of DERs will also look different for each airport and may have significant regional variation due to local energy resources. In the case of PIT, natural gas was used from onsite extraction thanks to a partnership with Consol Energy.
Costs (and revenue)
With many components to install and integrate, cost can become a concern. Fortunately, when optimized, energy generation and dispatch of onsite sources can create revenue streams and offset the expense of installation and operation.
If the energy rates, operations, and space are all conducive, it’s readily possible to optimize DERs to create a reliable revenue stream. Energy generated on site can be sold back to utilities during peak periods for a premium, while the microgrid can also provide frequency management as a service for the surrounding grid. An added cost benefit of microgrids is that they can minimize the installation of additional, capital-intensive electrical infrastructure to meet greater loads.
Setting a flight plan
Decarbonizing the aviation sector will require industry-wide action. As hubs for millions of travelers, airports have a critical role to play.
Microgrids present a particularly promising decarbonization solution and can enable airports to drive an array of environmental and operational transformations. From decarbonizing travel and energy production to building resilience into grid systems, microgrid adoption can help airports achieve their net zero targets while also safeguarding travelers and airlines.
With so many elements to consider — from DERs, energy storage, operations and design — airports will need to build integrated expertise to realize and operate microgrids. Delivery partners too must have competencies in facilities management, clean energy, and, of course, airport design. Even amidst these complexities, this smart technology is rapidly becoming a standard practice for many airports. The rewards — resiliency, security, sustainability — are proving well worth the effort.