Schiphol gives large-scale solar energy a trial run
By Carly Blair
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and technical services provider Imtech have recently installed a total of 9.500 m2 of solar panels at Schiphol-Northwest as part of a trial to determine whether the generation of large-scale cost-effective solar energy has a future at Schiphol.
The newly installed solar panels will yield 440.000 kWh of green energy each year, which is the amount of electricity 120 households consume on average on an annual basis.
The solar panel installation is part of Schiphol Airport's plan to make its own activities climate neutral by the end of 2012 and to generate 20 percent of its own energy sustainably by 2020.
Solar panels were previously installed on the roofs of the Transport office buildings, the Schiphol Group headquarters and Cargo Building 19.
In addition to energy generation, Schiphol is working hard to reduce its energy consumption, for example by installing LED lighting in portions of the airport's parking facilities and the terminal building.
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