JFK’s new Terminal One to boast New York City’s largest solar array

Construction work has begun on a new 13,000 solar panel array that will sit on the roof New York-JFK’s new Terminal One.

According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New Terminal One consortium that was selected to design, build and operate the new terminal, the solar array will be the largest in New York City and the largest at any airport terminal in the country.

Indeed, the roof of the new terminal on its own will cover an area the size of six and a half football fields.

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 with evocative public art and locally inspired retail options, two expanded and modernised terminals and an entirely new, efficient roadway network when complete.

The 6.63 megawatts of solar array on the terminal’s roof is part of a 12-megawatt microgrid 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 microgrid will also include 3.84 megawatts 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.

“When the new terminal is complete, it will be the largest terminal at Kennedy Airport, so we are particularly pleased to incorporate on-site power using a green energy source into the design of the terminal,” enthused PANYNJ’s executive director, Rick Cotton.

“We have made sustainability a major priority at our facilities, and this massive solar array is a unique and innovative solution that reduces our carbon footprint and continues our march towards net zero.”

While Port Authority chairman, Kevin O’Toole, noted: “This construction milestone in our redevelopment of John F Kennedy International Airport represents more than progress at one of our facilities because its success will set an industry example for others.

“On-site green energy development such as the country’s largest airport solar array will reduce the generation of greenhouse gases that cause climate change at the New Terminal One.”

The microgrid will recover heat from the fuel cells to generate chilled water and hot water for the terminal. Its capacity 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.

AlphaStruxure is financing the microgrid project through an Energy as a Service (EaaS) contract, 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.

The Port Authority, in partnership with the New York Power Authority, also is constructing a 12-megawatt solar canopy at JFK’s long-term parking lot 9 that will consist of 7.5 megawatts 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-megawatt solar parking canopy at Newark Liberty International Airport, a 1.5-megawatt rooftop solar array on LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B garage, and a 600-kilowatt solar roof on a PATH warehouse rooftop.

New Terminal One CEO, Jennifer Aument, says: “Breaking ground on this first-of-its-kind microgrid solution is a major and exciting milestone in New Terminal One’s commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and setting a new industry standard on sustainability.

“This resilient and efficient energy solution will simultaneously enable us to decarbonize, drive innovation, and deliver lasting benefits to both our passengers and our community.”

Construction of the microgrid will support almost 100 local jobs, through AlphaStruxure’s design-builder partner E-J Electric Installation Co. Headquartered in Queens, E-J Electric will source all labour through local unions affiliated with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.