University of Waterloo Researchers Working to Make Airports Greener with Solar Panels
Andrew Higgins, researchers at the University of Waterloo, are working to make an airport greener. Supported by a $240,000 FedDev Ontario grant, the work is aiming to cut airport greenhouse gas emissions while maximizing energy resilience while keeping safety considerations in mind. The project is led by experts from the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA), who investigate possible risks from solar panel glare to pilots and air traffic controllers.
Generally, airports possess large open areas like rooftops and parking lots that are ideal for ground-mounted photovoltaic systems; hence, solar panels can be used to generate power for the airport, reduce carbon emissions, and serve as a source of emergency backup power in case of a grid blackout. However, glare from the solar panels is one of the major challenges in using it during takeoff and landing, especially during critical flight phases, not only to pilots but also to air traffic controllers.
In the attempt to address this challenge, WISA researchers have employed the use of advanced technology by trying to quantify the glare risks. Leading researchers in this department are Dr. Costa Kapsis, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Dr. Derek Robinson, professor in the Faculty of Environment. They developed a unique system that has incorporated drones, simulations, and virtual reality. For example, they’ve been flying camera-laden drones over the buildings of a complex in Waterloo’s David Johnston Research + Technology Park-called evolv1-to compile data on glare patterns at different times of day and year.
The drone has a GPS system, a LIDAR scanner, and a fisheye camera lens that takes images the way the human eye perceives them. The data collected forms 3D maps and simulates glare conditions. Researchers are using it to predict where glare might take place and when. They are using virtual reality to recreate real-world environments to simulate how solar panels would affect pilot and air traffic control visibility when landing.
The research has a number of proposals for solving glare, including applying anti-reflective coatings to solar panels and making panel orientations without landing corridors. Some of the suggested orientations are likely to decrease glare but reduce power generation by up to 20%, which depends on location and season. At some point in the future, this research may feed into guidelines and standards for safely introducing solar panels at airports, helping the aviation industry meet its sustainability targets while remaining safe.
In fact, this research is part of a larger undertaking that is supported by FedDev Ontario’s Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative that focuses on pursuing sustainability in the aviation industry..