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Major airports are turning to clean and renewable energy sources. Here’s the story of two that have recently installed robust solar-panel projects.
Thousands of solar panels will soon stand on 12 acres of sealed former landfill space at Pittsburgh International Airport.
The installation is part of a major green initiative within a larger expansion project at the airport. IMG Energy Solutions, which is partnering with the airport and Duquesne Light Company for the project, will place 11,216 high-efficiency solar panels atop the retired landfill, which closed about 30 years ago and contains construction debris.
The project reflects a larger, global trend of airports increasing their use of solar energy as a way to save on electricity costs and be kind to the environment.
“It’s a way to generate power on site at a low cost, and it’s cleaner for the environment,” says Mike Brady, senior vice president of power generation at Liberty Power Innovations, which owns IMG Energy Solutions.
Cleared for Sunshine
Major airports use around 150,000 megawatt hours annually, according to a 2025 study from Concordia University in Montreal – roughly equivalent to the power used over a year in a city of about 100,000 residents. And air travel is growing: Boston Consulting Group reported that air travel rose by 6% in 2025 and is expected to rise 5.8% in 2026.
Non-renewable energy sources, like fossil fuels, remain the primary source of energy at airports. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, along with lighting systems, make up the majority of the energy usage.
When an airport replaces some or all of its energy sources with clean and renewable options like solar, the Concordia University study says, it can make a significant ecological impact. Case in point: In India in 2015, Cochin International Airport became fully solar-powered, and the project is expected to save 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere over 25 years.
However, success and feasibility depend on many factors, like the airport’s location, budget, land availability, and weather conditions. For instance, buildings surrounding an airport in an urban area or an abundance of trees in a rural or urban setting can block some of the sun’s rays from reaching the panels.
Solar Takes Off
The Pittsburgh airport already had nearly 10,000 solar panels on 8 acres near the freeway exit for the airport before it launched its latest project. Notably, solar energy generated on airport property will not power the airport itself, which gets about 97% of its energy from clean-burning natural gas and about 3% from solar. Instead, it will flow to electric customers on the grid in the surrounding Pittsburgh region.
At the Denver International Airport, solar panels generate close to 50 megawatts for the airport and the larger region. With this kind of solar power, the airport — which is the second largest in the world by land area and uses around 200 megawatts a year — is expected to save more than $3 million over 25 years.
Denver started its solar project, which first became operational in 2008, almost 20 years ago. It boasts 11 behind-the-meter (electricity generated, stored, or consumed without going through a grid and billing meter) solar projects, including four rooftop solar arrays and more than 200 acres of solar panels in a field with a generating capacity of 18.5 megawatts.
This year, the Denver airport is adding 90 new acres of solar panels on airport property. The lower cost of electricity from the airport property leased to an energy company results in a lower cost of electricity for the airport, Conboy says.
Green Skies Ahead
Conboy says that the Denver airport is well on its way to achieving its goal of being the most sustainable airport in the world, to “improve the impact on the planet, on people, and on financials.” The hope is to be net-zero by 2040.
“We’re always looking to add additional clean energy to our portfolio,” he says. “We’re looking at multiple options in addition to solar and asking for new technologies that could help us with growth and decarbonization goals. We’re open to all forms of clean energy that reduce costs.”
Other airports should and will take the same steps toward renewable energy, Conboy says.
“Airports are seeing our energy use increase quite a bit with growth, electrification of vehicles, buildings to meet our goals,” he says. “There is a need to be able to afford to provide clean, renewable energy. It’s a favorable trend overall.”
