Long Beach Airport in California has switched on the largest solar energy project on the airport campus, consisting of almost 1,000 panels on the Aeroplex facility’s rooftop.
The Aeroplex / Aerolease Group, an aviation property development, consulting and management firm that holds anLong Beach Airport (LGB) master lease, installed the system on their building, which is also host to Signature Flight Support’s fixed base operator (FBO).
“I’m happy to see this successful collaboration between Long Beach Airport and Aeroplex, a leading member of our aviation community,” said Mayor of Long Beach Robert Garcia. “Our airport is committed to setting the standard for sustainability among U.S. airports.”
The solar electric system, constructed by Current Energy covers 55,000 square feet of the Aeroplex rooftop. The panels will generate 380 kilowatts (kW) of solar power per year, a greenhouse gas emissions reduction equivalent to one million miles driven by an average passenger vehicle.
Aeroplex CEO Curt Castagna said, “The aviation industry is making significant investment and headway in efforts to reduce its carbon footprint with solar power and new sustainable alternative biofuels. This project demonstrates the environmental and business value of investing in green ventures and we hope it will serve as a model for other aviation firms.”
In addition to commercial airline operations, LGB maintains a portfolio of office buildings, hotels, retail, industrial facilities and a municipal golf course. The entire Airport campus covers 1,166 acres. Aeroplex, a master tenant at LGB since 1984, has a 15-acre site with over 200,000 square feet of premier aviation facilities that hosts diverse aviation businesses which support approximately 300 local jobs.
“We continually strive to minimize the environmental impact of airport operations, and these efforts from our business partners provide a major boost towards meeting our sustainability goals,” said Long Beach Airport Director Cynthia Guidry. “I applaud Aeroplex and Signature for completing a project with such economic and environmental value to our community.”
The City of Long Beach plans to build a large photovoltaic system on the roof of LGB Parking Structures A and B, with construction set to begin in the spring of 2021. It is one of 10 such solar projects planned throughout the City.
Long Beach Airport (LGB) is the oldest airport in California and celebrates its centenary in 2023. The airport offers non-stop service to several US cities and supports general aviation activity with more than 300,000 annual operations.
