A 17 MW distributed solar PV plant designed for the City of Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport in response to an APS RFP for RE Small Generation Resources. Modeled all financial and energy components with SAM and HOMER. Proposal would generate ~$750,000 annual savings for the City of Phoenix.

1. Sky
Harbor
Airport
Renewable
Photovoltaic
Project
December 2011

2. 17 MEGAWATT PHOTOVOLTAIC
INSTALLATION AT SKY HARBOR
AIRPORT
• Siting
• Investment and value
• Simulation and analysis
• Technology
• Considerations and concerns
• Multiple benefits

3. ~100 acres above parking lots and atop parking structures
throughout Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

4. DEMAND
SAVINGS
APS E-32 and E-34 rate structures
1. Charged for kWh used (usage)
2. Charged on monthly kW peak (demand)
minimum bill is 80% of annual peak
Terminal 4 (E-34 rate structure)
• $17.337/kW at peak demand
= $1,927,593.49
Terminal 4, with 50% demand reduction
• $17.337/kW at peak demand
= $963,796.75
$963,797/yr savings just from shaving
peak demand

5. RATE
SAVINGS
“12 largest loads” at Sky Harbor Airport,
FY 2011 electricity usage:
124,670,900 kWh
$10,763,808
= 8.56 cents/kWh
SHARPP produces 29,171,538 kWh
annually
@ 8.56 cents/kWh from APS
= $2,497,084/yr
SHARPP cost of 29,171,538 kWh
= $1,750,292/yr
$746,792/yr (7%) savings just on
replacing APS electricity with SHARPP

6. COST and
EFFICIENCY
SHARPP as an investment
• Government-owned
• No sales tax
• No property tax
• No income tax
• 100% “loan” through bonds
(3% interest)
• LCOE 6.00 cents/kWh
(compare to 8.56 cents/kWh with APS)
Net Annual Energy 29,171,538 kWh
PPA price (LCOE) 6.00 cents/kWh
Debt Fraction 100%
kWh/kW 1,716
Total Land Area 72.82 acres

7. TECHNOLOGY
Axis
Fixed tilt, latitude - 15° = 18° due south
Inverters
179 Solectria PVI 95kW 480V
Modules
60,764 Suntech 280 Watt polycrystalline
solar module, STP280-24-Vb
11 modules per string
5,524 strings in parallel

8. CONSTRUCTION
CONCERNS
• Federal Aviation Administration
• Wildlife
• Hohokam ruins
• Pollution and noise
• City of Phoenix property
• Risk of aircraft collision / power
interruption
Arizona cliff rose Lesser long-nosed bat
California least tern

9. STORAGE
CONSIDERATION
• Batteries
• Compressed air
• Methane production
• Grid-tied net metering
Sky harbor usage
Local substations

10. BENEFITS
• 6.00 cents/kWh
• Mitigates peak demand rates,
multiplying the savings of a solar
installation
• Financially viable for the City of
Phoenix
• Grid-connected
• Increases energy independence
• Less taxpayer money funding airport
utilities
• Boosts local economy through jobs
• Creates positive community image
• Visible representation of Arizona’s
renewable energy efforts