Solar panels in El Dorado airport: a step in the right direction
Last September, the airport of the Colombian capital announced that part of its energy will be produced with more than 10 thousand solar panels
The implementation of clean energies in large and well-known places is a step in the right direction. In the case of the El Dorado airport in Bogotá, Colombia, the commitment to solar panels provides a positive message for society, as it is the largest solar energy project in airports in Latin America.
Leer en español: Paneles solares en El Dorado: un paso en la dirección correcta
Airports never close, so their use of energy and other resources is constant. Betting on the use of clean energies, such as solar, tells the world "let's make progress, but let's do it sustainably". A green airport is the best example of commitment to care for the environment on a large scale.
How will it work?
The project contemplates the use of public energy and that produced by the panels. According to a video of Celsia and Odinsa, projected at the airport, "as the system generates more solar energy, the network's energy consumption decreases". Additionally, this project has 6 great advantages:
- "It will generate 30 direct jobs
- It will reduce 1,357 tons of CO2, equivalent to the oxygen emitted by 76 mature trees
- It will produce 12% of the airport's energy
- It will establish competitive rates compared with those of traditional energy
- It will regulate the temperature in the terminal making efficient its energy consumption
- It will regulate the available energy, giving stability to energy consumption "
Also read: Circular economy: an incomplete solution for the environmental crisis
The solar energy system, once implemented, will have 10,369 panels with a capacity of 2,800 kwp, which will produce 3,815,000 kWh per year. This figure is equivalent to what 1,590 households consume annually, according to Odinsa and Celsia.
The panels will be located on the roof of the airport and will occupy 27,000 m2, the same size of 6 soccer fields. The panels will be anti-glare to avoid flashing and will have great efficiency in low light environments.
Why to invest in solar energy?
The first thing we must say is that solar energy is a step towards the independence of fossil fuels such as oil and gas – which are not renewable or sustainable. Over time, energy self-sufficiency can be achieved through a system that does not produce greenhouse gases.
It may interest you: Can renewable energy save the planet?
This self-sufficiency also includes the free production of energy, since the sun's rays have no cost. In addition, as this energy is renewable, it contributes to implement sustainable and clean energies. The investment of solar panels is not as expensive as it is believed. According to América Fotovoltáica, a solar panel costs approximately $ 32 dollars.
If you are interested in including solar energy in your home or business, you can use this simulator that will show you how much energy you consume annually, how much you would produce with your own solar energy system, how many trees you would save, and the investment you would have to make.
LatinAmerican Post | Marcela Peñaloza
Translated from “Paneles solares en El Dorado: un paso en la dirección correcta”
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