Sacramento International Airport officials and community representatives have opened a new solar facility, which is expected to provide more than 30 percent of the airport’s electricity. It is the largest on-airport solar facility in California.
The airport had no costs for construction. The capital investment was provided by NRG, which financed construction by Borrego Solar. NRG owns and operates the facility and will sell electricity to Sacramento International Airport at a reduced rate under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
The 7.9 megawatt solar farm consists of a 15-acre east site on Aviation Drive and a 20-acre site north of the runway. The facility is comprised of more than 23,000 LG solar panels mounted on NEXTracker that tracks the sun’s path from east to west over the course of the day, maximizing efficiency and energy production.
The electricity generated by the facility is enough to power 1,600 homes a year.
“By adopting solar, Sacramento Airport has not only made a prudent financial decision, but has also taken action to reduce its environmental impact. The solar energy produced over the life of the system will offset nearly 289,000 metric tons of harmful carbon dioxide equivalents – this is the same amount that would be offset by taking nearly 62,000 cars off the road,” said Jackie Pitera, a senior member of Borrego Solar’s project development team.
Projected cost savings from the project are an average of $850,000 annually throughout the 25-year term of the agreement.
