January-February 2022 - 22

COVER STORY AUTHOR Walker Jaroch
Pittsburgh's Microgrid
Powers On
PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL Airport (PIT) officially
turned on its first-of-a-kind microgrid in the summer
of 2021. The 23 megawatts (MWs) includes a 20 MW
natural gas-fired energy plant and a 3 MW solar facility
and is the first installation of its kind in the world to
completely provide power to an airport.
The plant was designed, permitted,
constructed, tested and commissioned
between October 2019 and June 2021.
But what is a " microgrid? "
" A microgrid is an independent
electricity source that can operate
autonomously while maintaining a
connection to the traditional grid. It is
powered by natural gas drilled on-site
by CNX Resources, in addition to gas
from the interstate pipeline system and
solar generation. The project offers a
more efficient, sustainable and resilient
source of energy. The microgrid consists
of five natural gas-fired generators and
9,360 solar panels, capable of producing
more than 20 megawatts of electricity, "
explained Tom Woodrow, SVP engineering
& intelligent nfrastructure,
Allegheny County Airport Authority.
The Allegheny County Airport
Authority Board of Directors, which
f LOCATION: Pittsburgh International Airport
fPROJECT: Microgrid
fCOMPLETION: June 2021
fKEY PARTICIPANTS: PIT, Peoples Natural
Gas, IMG Energy Solutions, CNX, EIS Solar,
PJ Dick, LLI Engineering and Duquesne Light
Company
operates and manages PIT, in 2019
awarded Peoples Natural Gas a 20-year
contract to build, maintain and operate
the microgrid at no cost to the airport.
In addition to boosting power resiliency
and redundancy, the microgrid achieves
savings on electricity costs for the airport
and tenants. Crews started construction
in July 2020 and completed the project
on schedule even as the pandemic stalled
the aviation industry.
The microgrid has been providing all
of the airport's power since June 2021
and will continue to do so via a 20-year
Energy Service Agreement. Savings are
estimated at approximately $500,000 for
the first year of operation with subsequent
savings to be determined.
" Pittsburgh International Airport in
fCOST: Zero cost to the airport. The project was
completely financed by Peoples Natural Gas.
June 2021 became the first airport in
the world to be completely powered by
natural gas and solar energy as part of its
newly live microgrid. The firstof-its
kind microgrid increases
resilience and maximizes public
safety and makes PIT one of the
most site-hardened airports in
the world, " said Woodrow.
The powered generated at
PIT is the primary supply for the
entire airport, including the terminals,
airfield, Hyatt hotel and
nearby gas station. The airport
remains connected to the tra22
\ AIRPORT BUSINESS / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
SUSTAINABILITY
ditional electrical grid as an option for
emergency or backup power if needed,
noted Woodrow.
Five 4.3 MW natural gas-fired
engines provide the power required of
the airport, while maintaining reserve
capacity and the ability to export power
to the grid. The natural gas is sourced
from 12 Marcellus natural gas wells
located on airport property.
During normal operation, the energy
plant supports the airport load, using the
existing connection with the local utility
as a backup power source in the event of
a plant outage or emergency.
Due to plant synchronization with
the grid, sourcing is seamless. Twentythree
airport-owned meters, not connected
to the internal electrical distribution,
utilize green energy via virtual
net-metering from the 3 MW of solar
facility, which includes over 9,000 solar
panels located on airport property.
" The solar facility covers approximately
8 acres, and teams were able
to construct it on a permitted/closed
landfill that was used for the disposal
of material from the construction of
the airport in the late 1980s and early
1990s. Prior to construction, our teams
received all
the necessary permits
from the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection after a
lengthy process, " Woodrow said.
In the event of a region-wide power
outage, where there is no grid power
available, the microgrid is able to disconnect
from the grid and operate in " Island
Mode, " where the airport is able to fully
operate with no grid power or connection
to the grid. This Island Mode capability
is also accompanied by the ability
to black start, meaning the generators
January-February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January-February 2022
