The Coimbatore International Airport (CIA) has plans to install solar panels at its four-wheeler and two-wheeler parking area.
The initiative is aimed at generating power that could meet a substantial portion of the electricity requirements of the airport and also provide cover for vehicles.
Bird hits
The parking area has space for close to 270 cars and a few hundred two-wheelers. But there are less than a handful of trees providing shade. Airport authorities said that it would be impossible to plant trees as it could attract birds resulting in bird hits, which was already a concern.
A proposal for solar panels at the parking lot was sent to Airport Authority of India (AAI) Head Quarters in Delhi recently and was in final stages of approval, said Airport Director D. Paul Manickam.
“On implementation it would generate 250 kilo watt electricity”, he told The Hindu . He said that solar energy is expected to meet close to 25 per cent of the airport’s monthly electricity requirement of 1,000 kilo watts. He said that many private firms are interested in implementing the project in a built-operate mode.
“We will buy electricity generated from the solar panels from the firm that implements the project. Power from the panels will be connected with the airport’s main electricity supply,” he said. He added that cost of a unit of solar power is expected to be less than the tariff for which the airport is getting power from Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation.
While there is more space for erecting solar panels and produce more electricity at the airport premises, Mr. Paul Manickam said that the parking area was chosen first so that the primary functioning of the airport will not be affected. “This project is planned in a way that it would not affect the visibility of pilots while approaching the runway,” he said.
