Airports

Microgrid Powers 8 Hangar Bays at Kalaeloa Airport

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Kalaeloa Airport on Oahu is used by the U.S. Coast Guard, Hawaii Community College Flight Program, Hawaii National Guard and the general aviation community. The airport has recently undergone a number of major improvements, including a new airfield lighting system, runway paving, and the addition of new emergency power systems, fire fighting and communication equipment. To supply power to the airport’s eight hangar bays for small private aircraft, the airport installed a SimpliPhi + Solar microgrid. The 46.08 kW system...
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With more than 1,000 cancelled flights and an estimated $50 million in losses by Delta alone, the December 2017 power outage at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport emphasized the need for airports to find more reliable ways to power their energy intensive operations.

Microgrids featuring SimpliPhi batteries provide airports with the means to produce, store and distribute power to a single terminal or an entire airport complex, either as its main source of power or as its auxiliary electricity supply in the event the grid goes down.

Our airport uses solar and/or wind energy to offset our operational energy needs. Can SimpliPhi batteries be added to an existing renewable installation?

Yes. Renewable sources of power can be intermittent and unpredictable. Adding SimpliPhi batteries to your existing renewable installation removes the risk of intermittency and allows airports to have true power security. SimpliPhi energy storage solutions can store electricity from solar and wind chargers (DC input), conventional generators, or the grid. In addition, in grid-tied locations, an integrated solar PV or wind turbine + SimpliPhi storage can reduce both energy charges and demand charges and maximize your utility bill savings.

Our industry is very cautious about lithium ion batteries. Can SimpliPhi batteries be safely installed in an airport?

SimpliPhi’s lithium ion chemistry is safe because it does not contain cobalt. Cobalt is the element that causes phones, laptops and other battery-powered devices to heat up and catch fire. SimpliPhi’s cobalt-free lithium ferrous phosphate (LFP) lithium ion chemistry is environmentally benign, non-toxic and does not pose a danger of thermal runaway and is non-toxic. In fact, because of the safety record SimpliPhi achieved through years of deployments with U.S. military the FAA granted the company "Special Permission" to transport PHI batteries globally via air.

We want to ensure we have a system capable of providing several days of energy autonomy. Can SimpliPhi deliver that much energy capacity?

SimpliPhi’s storage solutions are modular and scalable and can be sized to provide critical power for base loads, peak loads and days or weeks of energy autonomy.

Can SimpliPhi help reduce our airport's energy costs?

For large airports, daily electricity usage is equivalent to that of a city of 100,000 people -- comprising as much as 10% to 15% of a airport’s operating budget. SimpliPhi energy storage can help offset those electricity costs by allowing airports to charge batteries during off-peak hours and to discharge batteries during peak times to offset energy costs. As a result, airports are able to avoid spikes in energy use and high demand charges and subsequently pay less for energy.

To power our airport’s expansion, we recently received a quote for trenching new power lines. Does SimpliPhi offer a better alternative?

By installing a solar+SimpliPhi storage microgrid, airports can avoid the cost and disruption of trenching through airfields to bring in new power lines. In addition, based on SimpliPhi airport deployment experience, microgrids are not only more cost effective, they also reduce project timelines.