AltEnToday

This weekend I got the chance to fly out of Long Beach Airport, and was intrigued as I stepped outside the main terminal to see several solar panels in the baggage claim area. There are several solar panels perched about 12 feet in the air on metal pylons which makes them unobtrusive and provides welcome shade in the area. The panels themselves aren’t exceptionally large, but what makes them very unique is that they’re a double-sided panel - so from underneath the panel you can see the cells quite clearly.

On a billboard across from the coffee stand was a brief description of the project - put together by a company called EcoMedia under the brand name EcoZone. Unfortunately, in my research so far on EcoZone’s website - as well as at the installation itself - I couldn’t learn who manufactured the PV panels nor the installer. According to the billboard, the solar panels are designed to provide 6 kilowatts (kW) of continuous power, leading to the production of 15,000 kWh per year. Another stat featured was that the panels could offset the energy usage of 120 laptop computers at once (assuming, of course, that they’re plugged in!)

The EcoMedia platform is a unique idea, and I think it might gain traction in many other environments. The program basically blends a combination of “green” environmental initiatives (such as the airport’s environmental action plan) as well as merges commercial goals by providing sponsorship opportunities to participating companies. In this instance, those companies include JetBlue Airways, Southern California Edison, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Arrowhead water.

Another great feature of the Long Beach airport solar installation is that it’s another example of local-generation that highlights how a solar-powered future might look. The panels are attractive, make no noise, and provide real power in a city doused in sunlight each year. I hope to see more of these types of installations as the technology continues to become more affordable and customers see the economic and social benefits of such projects.