January/February 2024 - 24

PROJECTS OF THE YEAR SUSTAINABILITY
Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport
groundbreaking.
VEREGY
ing a 2.88 MW solar powerhouse. This
endeavor is expected to cut electricity
costs for several airport and tenant
accounts by over 90%.
" It's equivalent energy savings as
diversify the airport's revenue streams
and effectively utilize idle land. This
quest for innovation and sustainability
led to the inception of the solar project.
Mark Hanna, the Executive Director
of Springfield Airport Authority, said
airport leadership were driven to find
diverse revenue sources and leverage
vacant land that posed developmental
challenges.
" This was a perfect opportunity to leverage
some vacant ground that we don't
have any plans for development, " he said.
" It's an awkward parcel that it's likely that
that can be developed. "
The project was rooted in practicality
and vision. An approximately
12-acre parcel of land, once home to
the airport's Aviation Fuel Farm, presented
unique development difficulties
due to its location and potential environmental
concerns. Recognizing these
challenges, the airport's leadership saw
an opportunity to transform this idle
land into a powerhouse of solar energy.
" We certainly started looking at the
solar farm initiatives and understanding
what developers were paying potentially
at airports for use of their land, " Hanna
said. " And the parcel that we had in
mind... it's likely that that can be developed
in a way that would generate substantial
revenue. "
The journey to realizing the solar
farm at SPI was marked by meticuf
Location: Abraham Lincoln Capital
Airport
f Project: Abraham Lincoln Capital
Airport Solar Project
fCompletion: March 2023
fKey Participants: Veregy LLC,
StandardAero, Balance Solar
fCost: $6 million
24 \ AIRPORT BUSINESS / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
lous planning and robust collaboration.
Overcoming challenges such as
supply chain issues and reengineering
for accessible materials, the team
demonstrated remarkable adaptability
and resilience. Hanna emphasized the
crucial role of collaboration, particularly
with the utility company, to ensure
smooth implementation.
The project was a joint venture with
Veregy and involved numerous stakeholders,
including service providers and
tenants. This collaborative approach was
vital in aligning various interests and
technical requirements, showcasing a
synergy of efforts towards a common goal.
The Solar Farm: A Beacon
of Efficiency and Savings
The solar initiative at SPI is a marvel of
engineering and environmental stewardship.
Spread across three key locations,
the project incorporates six solar arrays,
both roof and ground-mounted, creathaving
8,000,000 miles driven in a
passenger vehicle each year. It's equivalent
to 140,000 bags of trash going to
a landfill instead of being recycled and
about 4,000 acres of trees that would
be saved it from the environment, " said
Corey Harper, Aviation Sales Account
Manager for Veregy.
What sets this project apart is its dual
approach with Net Metering, benefiting
both the airport and its tenants like
StandardAero. The system, generating
an impressive 4,200,000 kWh annually,
stands as Illinois's largest airport-owned
solar array for Net Metering. The
project not only underscores SPI's
commitment to the environment but
also opens new avenues for revenue
generation.
The implementation of the solar
project required unique technical solutions
to accommodate six locations with
seven meters and large diameter wires.
This complexity was further compounded
by the need to coordinate with
StandardAero, the FAA, and the city
utility, highlighting the project's collaborative
nature and technical prowess.
" We actually ended up making every
connection to locations that helped us
reduce our wire size, " Harper said.
" That helped us reduce our equipment
and it added some equipment as well. "
The solar panels, guaranteed to
produce for 25 years with minimal
degradation, are a testament to the
project's sustainability. The airport's
integration of this project with broader
sustainability goals, including those of
the Springfield City Water Light and
Power, illustrates a commitment to
regional ecological initiatives.
January/February 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January/February 2024
