Researchers compared electricity generated by residential solar panels in a regional Australian city to the potential green energy production of 21 leased federal airports. By PV BUZZ Researchers compared electricity generated by residential solar panels in a regional Australian city to the potential green energy production of 21 leased federal airports. They found if large-scale solar panels were installed at the airports, they would generate 10 times more electricity than the city’s 17,000 residential panels while offsetting 151.6 kilotons of greenhouse gasses annually. Brisbane Airport plans to cut energy consumption and carbon emissions thanks to 22,000 solar panels being installed between now and August 2018. Related environmental news: ‘World’s largest’ airport-based solar farm taking off Energy Live Why Not Turn Airports Into Giant Solar Farms? Wired Researchers at RMIT University compared electricity generated by residential solar panels in a regional Australian city to the potential green energy production of 21 leased federal airports. They found if large-scale solar panels were installed at the airports, they would generate 10 times more electricity than the city’s 17,000 residential panels, while offsetting 151.6 kilotons of greenhouse gasses annually. Researcher Dr. Chayn Sun said the analysis showed the value of focusing renewable energy efforts on large, centralized rooftop solar systems. Don’t miss environmental news stories like this Click for Blog updates “We can’t rely on small residential solar panels to get us to a zero-emission economy but installing large panels at locations like airports would get us a lot closer,” she said. “We hope our results will help guide energy policy while informing future research in solar deployment for large buildings. “There’s so much potential to facilitate national economic development while contributing towards greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.” Sun, a geospatial scientist in RMIT’s School of Science, said airports were ideal for solar panels but were not currently being used to their full potential — many Australian airports are without adequate solar systems. “Airports get good sun exposure because they’re not shaded by tall buildings or trees, making them a perfect spot to harness the sun’s energy,” she said. “Australia is facing an energy crisis, yet our solar energy resources — such as airport rooftops — are being wasted. “Harnessing this power source would avoid 63 kilotons of coal being burned in Australia each year, an important step towards a zero-carbon future.” Read the full story