This is a UK first no other UK airport has solar power generation on site, let alone within 150 meters of the runway. The project was initiated by Joe Attwood, previously Gatwicks Sustainability Manager, and involved a wide team covering legals, utilities purchasing, engineering facilities and UKPNs High Voltage engineers. It was supported throughout by Gatwicks CEO Stewart Wingate.
Both the Civil Aviation Authority and the National Air Traffic Service were involved and consulted extensively to ensure that issues surrounding ground radar and potential glare were not a problem to the Airports safe operation.
Joe Attwood said, "For a long time Gatwick Airport Ltd has been working hard to increase its sustainability and adding 100 percent carbon free electricity generation into our operations is a positive step. Although only at the 50kW trial stage at present, the system will save 25 tonnes of CO2 on our operational carbon footprint per annum."
The PV system is a forerunner to Gatwicks longer term ambition to further reduce its carbon footprint by a combination of measures including onsite power generation. A site has already been identified for a much larger Solar PV system and Orta Solar are working step by step with the Gatwick team to bring that project to reality ASAP.
Orta acted as a developer and introduced Blue Energy to Gatwick to fund the project. Orta Solars Managing Director Nick Pascoe said, "Given the sensitive nature of the location of this solar installation there was a long list of interested parties interested to witness how its development construction and operation would interface with a commercial airport environment. Another unique feature of the system is that it is connected at 3 phase low voltage transformed up to 11kV to hook into Gatwicks high voltage private wire electricity network. The on-site team at UK Power Networks were closely involved throughout the systems construction and connection lending great support throughout and it posed a few challenges for OFGEM during the FIT registration process."
As for the carbon fee electricity generated, that is purchased directly by Gatwick and consumed within their operations. Feed-in tariff payments are supplied by Good Energy Plc directly to the systems owners Blue Energy Co. Nick Pascoe added, "The system breaks new ground regarding the acceptance of Airport based Solar in the UK and all involved have learned a lot regarding challenges & solutions specific to the location. Were already speaking with other leading airport groups in the UK about bring Solar PV into their operations."
