Airport International News - July 2012
Solar Panels at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Posted by Paul Fiddian - Airport International's Lead Reporter on 19/07/2012 - 08:30:00
Photovoltaic panels that convert solar rays into electricity have been installed at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Airport in a trial programme that will examine how useful renewable energy can be in the hub's day-to-day operations.
Put in place via a partnership between the airport and Imtech, the Schiphol solar panels have a total surface area of 9,500 square metres and they're set to generate 440,000 Kilowatt-hours of energy per annum. That's approximately enough for the electricity needs of some 120 homes.
The panels' arrival took place through a scheme established by the Schiphol-based theGROUNDS initiative, which is involved in ‘innovative applications for sustainable airports', according to a press release.
Schiphol Solar Panels
While the Schiphol solar panels are there to be tested and not, yet, a permanent fixture, the Netherlands' flagship airport does already have a number of green technologies in place. These include LED lights inside the airport's terminals and thermal storage systems.
In fact, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is planning to become entirely carbon neutral by the end of this year. In other words, it will be offsetting its carbon emissions through adopting and implementing further green technologies on home ground and through supporting external renewable energy programmes. By 2020, meanwhile, it is aiming to have sustainable resources supplying a fifth of its total energy needs.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol also boasts an award-winning robotic baggage-handling system. The brainchild of airport officials, the Integrated Robot Loading system was developed by Vanderlande Industries and Grenzebach Automation.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the Netherland's biggest airport and it's the main hub for several carriers, including Amsterdam Airlines, Martinair and KLM. It handled a total of 45.3 million passengers in 2010, along with over one and a half million tonnes of freight.
Aircraft movements have been taking place at the site since 1916 and in 2010, there were no less than 402,372.
Image courtesy Schiphol Group
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