Solar Power Solutions for an International Airport

In 2010 Photon Energy was contracted to build and connect the second phase of a large-scale power plant at Brno Airport in the Czech Republic.

The plant’s location next to the main runway of an international airport created a number of unique challenges. There were stringent special health and safety regulations in place, as all work was carried out within the airport’s high-security zone. It was also imperative that operations of the airport were not affected by construction, nor by the plant itself upon completion.

As the first phase of the project had already been completed when Photon Energy began work, it was necessary to adapt existing elements of the power plant. With more effective technology being used for the second phase, our technicians faced the challenge of replacing all existing transformer stations to harmonise different outputs.

After a construction period of only three months, the second phase of the Brno Airport power plant was successfully commissioned in October 2010.

Throughout development and construction, we worked closely with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Czech Republic to ensure the safe, uninterrupted operations of the airport during construction. In addition, meticulous planning and calculation ensured that the orientation of solar panels would not cause a glare that might pose a threat to incoming aircraft.

In total, Photon Energy installed and commissioned 30 central inverters during the second phase of the power plant. Upon successful completion of this phase, we continued our partnership with Brno Airport, providing the technology, including modules and inverters, for the third and final phase of the project.