London Stansted Powers Up New Solar Farm
The title of this post, is the same as this press release from Stansted Airport.
These paragraphs are the text of the press release.
London Stansted’s new on-site solar farm is now fully operational, marking a major milestone on its net zero journey.
The solar farm, the first of its kind at a London airport, has more than 24,000 panels and has been constructed and will be operated by Onsite Power, EDF power solutions’ C&I solar division, on land already owned by Stansted immediately to the east of the airport.
The panels can produce up to 17.2 MW of direct current (DC) power. Once converted, the solar farm can produce up to 12.8 MW of usable alternating current (AC) power which is supplied directly into the airport’s network. This enables the solar farm, on the sunniest day, to produce power equivalent to the airport’s peak demand.
Over a year, the solar farm will generate enough electricity to meet the annual demand of 7,000 houses, similar in number to the town of Saffron Walden.
The development is an integral part of London Stansted’s £1.1 billion transformation programme and has been designed to help meet the airport’s current and increasing electricity demands, including those associated with the growing use of electric vehicles.
The project will also support London Stansted’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions from its direct airport operations by no later than 2038.
It would appear that this installation meets these criteria.
- The solar farm, on the sunniest day, can produce power equivalent to the airport’s peak demand.
- The airport has a suitable, easily accessible field or roof, where the solar panels can be installed.
- There is no mention in the press release of a battery, so I would also expect, that the airport has a good two-way grid connection, so that any excess electricity can be exported.
- In SSE Energy Solutions Powers Ascot’s Shift To Electrification With One Of UK Sport’s Largest Rooftop Solar Projects, I describe a project to put a solar roof on the grandstand at Ascot racecourse, which required no upfront funding. Did EDF organise the funding of this project, which is thirty times larger than Ascot’s solar roof?
It also appears that the installation incorporates a degree of future proofing.
