Denver International Airport 4.4 MW Solar Installation in Denver, CO

How Solar Power Works for Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport is the world's tenth busiest airport and the fifth busiest airport in the United States. With 50 million passengers traveling through the airport each year, it is Colorado's primary economic engine, generating more than $22 billion for the region annually.

Project Overview

4.4 MW DC ground mounted solar installation
18,980 Yingli Solar photovoltaic panels installed
7,000,000 kWh of electricity expected to be generated annually
20-year Power Purchase Agreement
Commissioned July, 2011

Why did Denver International Airport chose solar?

DIA was originally built to be environmentally friendly and utilize alternative energy. To date at DIA there have been over 8 MWs installed of on-site solar projects including the most recent 4.4 megawatt ground mounted photovoltaic array which was built and is owned and operated by Constellation.

Kim Day, DIA's aviation manager states, "We support alternative energy applications at DIA because these projects are good for the environment while positively impacting our bottom line; they are financially sustainable. This airport was built with a goal of being green, and with this additional solar array, Denver International Airport now hosts one of the largest solar installations in North America".

Environmental Benefits

Over 20-year term, the project is expected to eliminate the release of 98,700 metric tons of CO2
The equivalent greenhouse gas emissions from 19,360 passenger vehicles
During the life of the contract the solar power system will generate enough electricity equivalent to CO2 emissions from the electricity use of more than 12,300 average American homes
Carbon dioxide emissions from more than 229,560 barrels of oil consumed will be saved over 20 years, by using renewable energy.

Power Purchase Agreement

By financing this project through a 20-year power purchase agreement, Constellation required no upfront capital from Denver International Airport and kept its power costs fixed at a lower than projected market rates.