On June 28, Constellation Energy brought a 4.4-megawatt (MW) ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) power system online at Denver International Airport. This represents the third, large-scale solar installation at DIA—bringing the total amount of hosted solar power there to over 8 MW. That’s more than any other U.S. commercial airfield to date.

Under the agreement, Baltimore-based Constellation Energy built, owns, and maintains the solar array, and DIA will purchase the electricity produced by the system over a 20-year period.

“With the addition of this solar facility, Denver International Airport’s three solar array systems now produce approximately 6 percent of the airport’s total power requirements,” said Kim Day, aviation manager for DIA, at the ribbon-cutting event. “

“We support alternative energy applications at DIA,” she said, because these projects are good for the environment, while positively impacting our bottom line…. This airport was built [in 1995]with a goal of being green, and with this additional solar array, Denver International Airport now has one of the largest solar installations in North America.”

The system, which uses about 19,000 photovoltaic panels from Yingli Green Energy, based in China, is expected to supply approximately 7,000 megawatt-hours of electricity to DIA each year. Generating the same amount of electricity using non-renewable sources would result in the release of more than 5,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data.

"Constellation Energy congratulates DIA for its continued commitment to clean energy,” said Michael D. Smith, senior vice president of Green Initiatives for Constellation Energy’s retail business. “Thanks to the shared commitment of federal, state, and local government, along with private business, more businesses are able to rely on solar power to achieve environmental goals and control electricity costs. Constellation Energy thanks the public and private partners who worked with us in bringing this newest solar installation online for DIA.”

Denver-based solar development firm Oak Leaf Energy Partners originally developed the project—its third at Denver International Airport. Oak Leaf has developed 27 commercial- and utility- scale solar projects in Colorado, totaling over 35 MW of production. Quanta Services Intermountain Electric of Aurora, Colorado—which installed and manages DIA’s 2 MW and 1.6 MW solar facilities— mounted the 4.4 MW project. Yingli Green Energy supplied the photovoltaic panels for the project.

Constellation Energy currently owns and operates approximately 95 megawatts of solar installations that have been completed or are under construction for customers throughout the United States. By structuring its solar projects as power purchase agreements, Constellation Energy requires no upfront capital from its customers and is able to provide power at a fixed cost that is less than projected market rates.

For more information, visit the Constellation Energy website.