JFK Airport’s New Terminal to Have 13,000+ Solar Panels

John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport’s New Terminal One will be equipped with a massive solar array of more than 13,000 solar panels, part of the 12 MW micro grid project, which generates enough electricity to power half of the everyday operations of the terminal, or roughly the energy to power more than 3,500 average US homes.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New Terminal One consortium that will design, build and operate the new terminal at JFK International Airport said that construction has begun on the project and the solar panels on the terminal’s roof will cover an area the size of six and a half football fields.

The 2.6 million sq.ft Terminal One solar array will be the largest in New York City and the largest at any airport terminal in the country, the developers said. 

As an all-international terminal, the New Terminal One is a key component of the Port Authority’s $19 billion transformation of JFK into a world-class global gateway that will include two new terminals, two expanded and modernised terminals and an entirely new, efficient roadway network when completed by 2030.

The 6.63 MW of solar array on the terminal’s roof is part of a 12 MW micro grid that will distribute electric energy from solar, fuel cells and batteries through a localised and self-contained energy system that can operate independently from or connected to the main power grid.

This micro grid will also include 3.84 MW of fuel cells and 1.5 megawatts/3.34 megawatt-hours of battery energy storage, all of which will be located in four clusters of electrical generation infrastructure strategically placed around the new terminal to create a single smart, resilient energy system. It will provide power for the terminal’s daily operations.

The micro grid will recover heat from the fuel cells to generate chilled water and hot water for the terminal.

AlphaStruxure, is a leading Energy as a Service (EaaS) provider, is financing the micro grid project, which is a long-term agreement ensuring predictable operating costs and guaranteed performance without upfront capital expenditures to neither the Port Authority nor New Terminal One.

The clean technology aligns with the Port Authority’s aggressive sustainability goals, which includes reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and requiring greener operations by its business partners, such as airport terminal operators and airlines.

Other Projects

The Port Authority, in partnership with the New York Power Authority, also is constructing a 12 MW solar canopy at JFK’s long-term parking lot 9 that will consist of 7.5 MW of battery storage for airport peak energy use and a 6-megawatt community solar generation facility, as well as provide covered parking for 3,000 vehicles.

Other solar projects at Port Authority facilities include a 5 MW solar parking canopy at Newark Liberty International Airport, a 1.5 MW rooftop solar array on LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B garage, and a 600 KW solar roof on a PATH warehouse rooftop.

The New Terminal One rooftop solar canopy will be the largest such solar array at any U.S. airport, providing a valuable case study for both the aviation and solar energy industries due to federal requirements to mitigate glare. The unique design of the clustered power islands also may serve as a case study for other airports with limited space or busy operations but want to add scalable on-site green power generation.