Energy Harvesting on Airport Pavements Ambient Dependent: Ponta Delgada Airport Case Study

Energy transition is an important issue for countries trying to meet their greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets. To achieve this reduction, the Portuguese government has budgeted a total of EUR 116 M to aid energy transition in the Autonomous Region of the Azores by 2029. This work presents a solution for producing electricity using photovoltaic panels (PV) to settle in the top of the airport pavement. In addition to producing sustainable electricity, the implementation of panels in the civil airport infrastructure allows us to address the reduction of emissions in the ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and the Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) program. Currently, PV panels are unable to support the weight of aircraft so the installation must be in the areas of the pavement where there is no regular aircraft traffic. As a result of the study, a production of about 9 GWh/year was achieved with an LCOE of 143 EUR/MWh, reducing emissions to about 6-ton CO₂/year.